University – University of Edinburgh
Qualification – Social and Political Sciences
Job hunting experience
Before getting my internship, job hunting was hugely frustrating for me. I hadn’t realised that practical experience was being valued more and more by employers – perhaps even more than a university degree – and I didn’t have any summer internships under my belt that could have given me an edge over other graduates.
The whole thing was a catch-22 situation where I needed paid work, but couldn’t get anything that paid the bills whilst also providing me with meaningful professional experience. Despite having a First-Class degree as well as a Masters, I ended up job hunting for over a year after graduating, keeping myself afloat with minimum wage jobs including bar work and call centre jobs.
I started my job search by applying to roles that interested me, but by the end I was applying to anything I was even remotely qualified for. I sent out around 100 applications during that time and wasn’t even making it to the interview stage for admin jobs. It was a pretty demoralising time and my confidence took a massive hit.
Role and Responsibilities
As a PR & Communications intern, I ended up considerably improving my research skills and also learned a lot about communications consultancy. I helped to write corporate narratives and core stories, did lots of media monitoring, and assisted with media liaison work and stakeholder engagement. Being bilingual, I also ended up helping with the in-house German to English translations, which actually helped me get work as a freelance translator – something I now do alongside my current job!
After my internship ended, I was offered a full-time position in Frankfurt where I worked on a number of interesting projects with a broad range of clients ranging from luxury fashion houses to international development foundations!
Where are you now?
I’ve been working as a management consultant for a real estate company in Edinburgh for the last two years. I’m part of a team that does business strategy work and feasibility studies for schools and universities. My job actually has very little to do with property! I do a lot of quantitative research and data analysis for education providers and have carved out a specialism for myself which focuses on the international school market. I’ve also learned a lot about my interests and abilities, for example, I found out that I’m much more analytical than I thought and love numbers!
I also introduced Adopt an Intern to my current employer and we ended up hiring two interns to help us with various projects over the last six months. It was great to “continue the cycle” so to speak – former interns hiring new interns!
I would never be where I am job-wise if it hadn’t been for Adopt an Intern. The internship was crucial in kick-starting my career and giving me confidence – thank you!
Natasha Charlton
AAI Alumni
PR & Communications Intern with the Brunswick Group
Connect with Natasha.
