Why summer internships?
I wanted to gain experience in the corporate world and explore different industries, but I did not want to take a year out of studying. From May to June and July to September, I completed two summer internships at Penguin Random House and Historic England. This gave me a taste of two different sectors—publishing and heritage. It was the perfect solution for me to get experience that has been transferrable into my third year of studying English and graduate job applications.
Applying
From my experience as a widening participation student, internships seemed out of reach as you usually assume they’re unpaid. However, there are many opportunities for paid internships over the summer! With this in mind, the University of York’s Career Services offer incredible support in applying for different internships and offer York Internships. These are paid living wage and are a great opportunity to explore different sectors whilst still getting direct support from the University. I also had 1-1 meetings with career advisors who gave me feedback on my CV!
I personally applied for my first internship directly through Penguin, who run short work experience programmes every 3-4 months. My application for the Historic England internship was through the Social Mobility Foundation. This is a programme that helps widening participation students connect with different job opportunities.
My advice would be to apply, apply, apply! You may not get everything first time and that’s okay- I got a lots of no’s before a yes. Rejection is simply redirection!
Penguin Random House UK
Doing an English degree, my head is always stuck in a book. Walking into the London office with books floor to ceiling was incredible! I worked as a Marketing and Publicity Intern in the Vintage Department, which deals with fiction and non-fiction. Despite my internship not being long, I learnt a great deal about the inner workings of marketing books and made connections in an industry that I otherwise knew little about. I also got to meet incredible authors- Salman Rushdie came into the office to celebrate his new book release!
Historic England
As I had more time at Historic England, I was able to lead my own research project and became more integrated into the office. I was a Research Assistant in the Policy and Evidence Department, researching underrepresented heritage as part of the ‘Missing Pieces Project’. I lead my own research project on Jewish queer heritage in London, going to different archives to find photos and first-hand accounts. As part of this, I created a map and a blog post about my findings.
This has massively helped me with my dissertation; having experience conducting a research project with a deadline taught me how to organise and follow a research timeline. Organising my dissertation felt a lot less overwhelming after this. I further learnt so much from my line manager which I carry into my essays and interviews today!
Overall thoughts
It can be a lot to take on internships during your degree, as often the interviews may fall during exam periods or you may have exams scheduled on days you are working. However, the Department supported me throughout. Despite it being nerve-wracking and intense at times, it was definitely worth it for me. Paid work during my degree was interesting and helped me gain experiences of different career possibilities before properly entering the working world . I have gained invaluable experience about what I look for in a workplace environment; what works for me and what does not. It gives you experience working with a range of different people and ages. I have new connections in different industries and thoroughly enjoyed my experiences.
Don’t be afraid to find and do work experience in a way that suits you best!
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