'As a second-year social policy student interested predominantly in working in charity and third sector work, I have found it very hard in the past to find internships in these fields that offer paid experience. Given how essential it is to have work experience set up for when you embark on a career, being expected to cover the additional costs of living in London and giving up your time for work becomes extremely difficult when unpaid internships are the norm. This internship funding scheme is a unique and fantastic opportunity to seek and gain experience in a field of your choice and to be able to comfortably cover all of your living expenses during this time. I found it to be extremely beneficial in allowing me to really get a deeper understanding of the work i could be doing in the future, along with the flexibility to choose a charity or organisation that fits your interests, which for me, was the Prisoner’s Education Trust. The skills and knowledge that I developed during my internship were second to none, and I would recommend all and any students to apply for this scheme as it made my summer a very rewarding time and offered me the chance to really get a feel of what I wanted to do after LSE'
'This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with a charity while receiving living wage through 911勛圖Careers. The Internship Scheme was very important to my career development. It allowed me to stay in London and learn from engaging with a charity, instead of going back to live with my parents and take up a summer job most likely irrelevant to my degree. With the charity, I learned about the causes of homelessness and social entrepreneurship, and got insight into what it means to be a social worker. This, in turn, has made me interested in potentially doing Frontline as a graduate program. Overall, a very enriching experience and the financial freedom from actually receiving a wage was a big privilege denied to many taking internships not in the financial or law sector. I think it makes for a more level playing field in terms of rich corporations as opposed to small start-ups being able to attract students for internship positions.
'I completed an internship with The Childhood Trust, a charity committed to lessening child poverty in London. I chose to work for this charity because I wanted to engage with an organisation that is focused on helping people in need, as it is something I am also motivated by. Another reason why I applied was to learn more about the charitable sector and its effectiveness in making a difference in people’s lives. Lastly, I hoped that first-hand experience in such a sector would allow me to reflect on my academic studies at 911勛圖on a deeper level, and that I would gain greater clarity on what I wanted to pursue after graduation.
My internship was overall a very positive experience. Working in an office environment, I learnt about the complexities of the workings of a charity; gaining new knowledge and skills that are likely to be of use in other working environments such as accounting, data entry and even navigating email etiquette! In spending so much time with one organisation I was able to develop a deeper, personal attachment to it's values and ambitions, and I found myself caring more about the work I was doing as I progressed. I was able to meet some of the children that the charity supports, and I feel more equipped to understand the topics of inequality and poverty that I study within my social policy degree. I have gained a new set of leadership, communication and technical skills and I feel less intimidated by the working world'