“Thanks to her recommendations and suggestions I found this cool opportunity to get experience alongside my degree”
Hear from Maya who graduates from the University of Surrey in June 2021 as she explains how she found the perfect internship.
I’m in my final year at the University of Surrey studying a degree in Biological Science and graduate in June 2021. I registered with GRB when I met them at a Freshers Fair and learnt about Graduate Mentor from an email they sent me in November 2020. I had already got the ball rolling by doing some research and networking as I was clueless about what I really wanted to do. I was intrigued by Graduate Mentor so searched for mentors, read a few profiles and then found Abbie who had experience in the pharmaceutical sector. I was interested in a career in Life Sciences so talking to her would be really useful. I sent her a booking request, she accepted and in January 2021 we set up a Zoom call for an hour.
Initially, we discussed Abbie’s career, how she progressed from graduate level and how she had tuned into the career she had chosen. We then discussed positions I was interested in and how I could get work experience to set me up for these roles. She mentioned a few organisations she rated and people to contact to get a foot in the door. I approached a not-for-profit organisation who publish summaries of literature reviews in the Humanitarian sector. I approached them specifically to help with their social media as I noticed it was OK but could be better and I could really improve it. They liked the idea and offered me a six-month contract as their Social Media Intern.
I am delighted that Graduate Mentor gave me the opportunity to connect with Abbie who was a great source of guidance and support. Thanks to her recommendations and suggestions I found this cool opportunity to get experience alongside my degree and it’s definitely going to help me stand out when I start applying for graduate jobs in the Summer. I owe it all to Abbie for her encouragement. She was everything you could ask for in a mentor!
If you are a student, then my advice is take the initiative to explore the mentors on the platform. One little decision can have a huge ripple effect on your future. Check it out and good luck.
