Spotlight on....internships

An internship at a local charity helped Laura Megatli (BA English Literature with Creative Writing, 2013) gain the experience she needed to kickstart a career in the third sector.

They say charity begins at home. In Laura Megatli’s case, it started with the University’s Careers Network Twitter feed.

Laura had already decided that she wanted a career in the third sector – specifically in fundraising – and spotted a tweet about an internship opportunity at a Birmingham-based charity.

Laura won a three-month placement at NMC Midlands, a charity that provides specialist support and services to people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions.

Laura says: ‘The most appealing aspect of my internship was the fact that I would get hands-on experience in a field of work that I'm really interested in.

‘My internship gave me an insight into what a career in the third sector would be like, while helping me determine whether fundraising was a pathway I definitely wanted to follow.’

NMC Midlands gave Laura the chance to develop a range of work skills, including HTML email formatting, database input for donors and donations, writing sponsorship proposals, research, conducting interviews and writing up testimonies.

‘My time at NMC Midlands was not just work experience to put on my CV,’ says Laura. ‘More importantly, it was a really enjoyable experience. I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and learn a great deal from them. My supervisor was very encouraging and supportive and keen to help develop my skills as the internship progressed.’

Laura graduated this summer, and has just started a new job as Fundraising Assistant for the NSPCC. She says: ‘I really believe that, without the opportunities I received at University and the experience I gained during my internship with NMC Midlands, I wouldn't have the job I do now. A few days in and I am already applying things I learned during my internship.’

Please contact the alumni office if you are able to offer an internship placement.