Anisha shares with us her experiences of gaining and working through her first internship - and what she has learnt that can help you. A few months ago I applied for an internship with the UK’s leading poetry organisation. In this blog, I'll talk about my experience of the process, what it was like and some tips for similar opportunities. Whether you end up adoring what you do, or leave the role still having no clue about your future, I’d highly recommend trying out a few. Getting an internship can be beneficial for so many reasons, and hence competitive. Whilst having industry related experiences when applying to future jobs are valued by employers, they also provide the perfect opportunity to know what day to day life looks like in the working world. As a writer and poet, I follow many related organisations on social media (mostly twitter/X and Instagram) and have subscribed to a good handful of newsletters. This is how I found out about my current internship at The Poetry Society. Researching the role and what will be required is extremely important before applying, as is looking into the values and aims of the organisation or company you're applying for to see if you’d be a good fit. After assuring myself that I had enough experience and enjoyment for it (stay tuned for the blog on self criticism soon) I filled out the application form. Sometimes companies will ask for a cover letter and a CV, but most initial applicant processes revolve around the same concepts: why you want that role, what experience you have and what you’ll bring to the job. I have a word document which acts as my personal, informal CV which includes a bullet point list of jobs and voluntary positions I've had, projects I had taken part in, and what my general interests are. I would recommend you start your own similar document. For me, it meant I had a host of examples I could pick and choose from to draw on for any positions I wanted to apply for. A few weeks later, I received an email inviting me for an interview. Prepping for this seemed less daunting as I had already written up most of the essential information that I had found and used used in the application form. It's always good to refresh your understanding of the role, and relevant examples of past experiences so you have something interesting to talk about. My internship was specifically for the education and young poets team. It’s important to remember when applying for roles that you don’t have to have had direct experience with the job you're applying for. Asides for a willingness to learn, being creative and flexible with what you have done should do the trick. For example, whilst I hadn’t necessarily had a ton of experience specifically with young people and poetry, I did work in a primary school in Spain, showing my leadership skills within the classroom and ability to engage with young people in creative ways, as well as organising environmental youth groups and other poetry workshops. There are probably more transferable skills you have accumulated than you can imagine! What you do as an intern is very dependent on where you go. I got up to a variety of tasks, such as social media drafting, administrative research on excel and helping to look through one of the world’s biggest young people’s poetry competitions. I was also really lucky to help with some events which were being hosted during my time as intern, a gathering for young poets around London called the Young Poets Network Takeover, and an online adult education programme workshop about writing poetry for kids. It gave me a great insight into the breadth of things that go on behind the scenes of an organisation so connected to the arts industry. These provided both soft skills, such as communication, navigating the workplace and time management, as well as industry specific related experience, like getting more familiar with contemporary poetry and understanding how schools are exposed to poetry. I’d definitely recommend applying for an internship. This was my first official 9-5 type of office job, and shed light on a lot of things within the working world, as well as jobs within the arts. Read of the Month Young People’s Poetry Have a browse through the Young Poets Network website from some work and inspiring prompts by young people. AuthorAnisha Jaya Minocha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, where she is School President for English. She worked in Andalucía, teaching. She is a writer and poet whose work has been showcased in winning competitions, readings and anthologies. She co-edits SINK Magazine, which gives a platform to Northern creatives, and founded the "Roots"" project with Friends of the Earth, developed during her writing residency with environmental charity Green and Away, exploring intersections between South Asian identity and ecology. Twitter: @anisha_jaya
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