University – University of Strathclyde
Qualification – Political Science
Job hunting experience – I found the experience of job hunting to be entirely demoralising! I found lots of positions that were of great interest to me and on paper I had the relevant skills to perform those roles, however time and time again a lack of experience was cited as a reason for unsuccessful applications. Securing an internship with East Renfrewshire Council has given me experience which will complement my skills and hopefully allow me to secure a new job at the end of my internship.
Role and Responsibilities – My role at East Renfrewshire Council is varied and has allowed me to utilise the different knowledge and skills I gained whilst at university. I’m involved mainly with the Council’s Development Contributions policy and have various different responsibilities and roles surrounding that. I have conducted extensive research into best practice of the policy amongst other local authorities across the country, with this information I can benchmark our policy against others whilst also suggesting improvements that can be made. Also as the policy is relatively new I have set up relevant processes and procedures’ including monitoring and reporting mechanisms to ensure the policy runs smoothly as intended.
A final example of my role is that I work collaboratively with the Council’s solicitor and Senior Project Officer in the drafting of legal agreements with my law degree I have been able to provide valuable assistance in this regard.
Where are you now? – My internship was initially for a period of six months but this was extended to twelve months so currently I am still in post with the Council. I believe the internship has given me great experience of working within Local Government and this is a line of work that I wish to pursue in the future. I am now looking forward to making the most of whatever opportunities present themselves to me in the future.
Andrew Maxwell
Adopt an Intern Alumni
Development Contributions Intern with East Renfrewshire Council
