My internship experience

3 minute read time.

We loved having our brilliant intern Amy-Louise in the team this summer. As she prepares to return to her studies, she looks back on her time with us.

Image of information team intern Amy-Louise

As my internship with Macmillan comes to an end, it seems as if the summer has flown by. I’ve been working with the Cancer Information Development team since July, and feel that I have learnt so much and gained so many transferable skills in such a short space of time.

Being an English Literature university student about to enter my final year, I often get asked if I want to become a teacher. This tends to be an assumed path for English Literature graduates, but had never really appealed to me. In the last few years I have expressed an interest in the charity sector in relation to my career. Although I’ve volunteered for multiple charities before, I wanted to know more about the behind-the-scenes work that went into the running of a charity. That’s when this internship came along and I’m so glad that I made the decision to apply.

I remember feeling overwhelmed yet inspired when faced with the variety of tasks and projects I was given. Over time, I felt that the work I was doing was genuinely making a difference to those affected by cancer.

Some of the projects I have been involved with have included:

  • designing and writing a newsletter for Macmillan’s booklet reviewers using Adobe InDesign
  • creating a script for an audiobook
  • writing articles for different audiences and formats, including MacVoice [the magazine for Macmillan professionals], the Patient Information Forum, MacMail, and the Macmillan Online Community (including blogging)
  • helping to market our booklet on dying in prison and our OPERA tool for Breast Cancer Awareness month
  • researching quotes for Macmillan’s booklets.

During my internship I have been so impressed with the level of support I have been given. I was able to meet weekly with my intern manager, Emma, who has provided an excellent source of professional and personal support. Despite being so nervous when I started, the Cancer Information Development team were so welcoming and really helped me to settle in. Thanks to this support, not only have I been able to develop my current skills but I have gained confidence in myself.

Over the course of the internship, I feel as if my editing and proofreading skills have developed majorly. I’ve been able to tailor my writing for different audiences, use software such as Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, and expand on my ability to research. This will not only help me as I approach the final year of my degree, but also undoubtedly in my career.

My internship has most certainly placed my career goals into focus and I can’t imagine doing anything else after I graduate next year than working for a charity. My experience has been nothing but a fulfilling and inspiring one, and I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to intern with the team and be able to learn more about the work that Macmillan does to support those affected by cancer.

To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.

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