Summer Internship Scheme: Katarina Karasekova
Katarina Karasekova shares her experiences of participating in the Summer Internship Scheme.
My story: Katarina Karasekova
- Course: BSc Geography and Sustainable Development
- Year of study when you completed this internship: 2nd year
- Internship: University of St Andrews – Carbon Accounting intern (based mainly at Eden Campus)
Why did you sign up to the Summer Internship Scheme? What were you hoping to gain?
I wanted to gain experience in a role related to my field of study and the Summer Internship Programme offered quite a few roles related to sustainability in one way or another. At that point, I didn’t have a very clear idea of what I wanted my future career to look like and I was hoping that the internship would help me explore suitable career options in addition to gaining specialist knowledge.
How did you find the 6 week internship?
It was an invaluable experience in so many ways. I learnt a lot about carbon accounting, offsetting and net zero, and got familiar with various standards and methodologies. I realized that I find these topics and discussions very fascinating and that I could actually see myself becoming a professional carbon accountant (or something similar) in the future. In addition, the experience helped me gain more confidence in both written and spoken communication.
In the end, I wrote a 20-page report summarising the findings of my research, which was in a way similar to preparing and writing a dissertation. I am now a lot less scared of the dissertation ahead, as I have proven to myself that I am capable of researching and writing about a complex topic.
The best part of my internship were the connections I made with the people in the workplace. I was able to talk to people from various departments and even from other institutions I wouldn’t have otherwise met. It was really interesting to hear their perspectives and they gave me a lot of interesting ideas for my report. Because one of the main things I wanted to gain from the internship were career ideas, I asked a lot of the people about their education and career paths and asked them about tips. I gained a lot of useful insights in this way.
Tell us about your internship, where was it, what did you do during the week?
I was a carbon accounting intern at the University of St Andrews, working mainly from Eden Campus but sometimes I also worked remotely from home. I spent most of my time researching carbon accounting standards and tools, and looking for ways to improve the University’s current approach. From time to time, I had meetings with my colleagues and professionals from other institutions during which we exchanged perspectives about carbon accounting and also other interesting topics.
What skills did you learn and how did you put them into practice during the internship?
I learnt how to communicate professionally through emails and Teams and how to network with people both online and in person. I also improved my writing skills when I was working on my report. Time management and organisational skills were of great help to me as well, as I mostly worked independently, so I set targets for myself for each week to ensure I would complete my project on time.
What’s next for you in your career journey?
A lot of big professional services firms run summer internships open to undergraduates in their penultimate year of study, so I will be applying to those. I hope to find something connected to sustainability again so that I can further develop the skills and knowledge I gained in my previous role.
What would you say to someone considering signing up for the Summer Internship Scheme?
I know a lot of people might find the application process daunting and competitive and might therefore feel like there is no point in trying. I certainly felt that way in the beginning, but then I sat down and wrote down all the reasons that would make me a good candidate, eventually turning this list into a CV and a cover letter.
The Career Centre appointments were incredibly useful at this stage as the advisers helped me to rephrase certain parts to make them a better match for the job description, and they broadened my understanding of what counts as relevant experience. With that said, even if your application is unsuccessful, you will nonetheless have gained a lot of useful skills such as CV and cover letter writing, and interview skills.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Summer Internship Scheme to students!