Prior Pursglove student Genevieve Omana Singh completed a paid internship with mentor Sarah Weston at the Student Loans Company – and now feels she has the skills to succeed. This is her story.
“My mentor has been very supportive, and helped me realise I am on the right path,” says Genevieve Omana Singh.
Genevieve was paired with mentor Sarah Weston from the Student Loans Company, and has found huge benefits from the relationship.
“Having a mentor means you have someone to guide you,” she says. “My mom runs her own small business in South Africa from the UK, and neither of my parents have worked for a UK company. So it was beneficial to get advice about the world of work from someone who works for a large UK-based organisation.
“Sarah has practiced interviews with me, helped me write a good CV, and given general advice about the world of work.
“She also arranged for me to get advice about being an actuary, which is what I want to do. We’ve discussed universities and graduate programmes, which has helped me finalise my plans.
“I now feel a bit more prepared and confident for when I start working in the future.”
Building confidence
Over summer, Genevieve joined Sarah at the Student Loans Company office in Darlington for a four-week paid internship.
“I am a quiet person and often felt that when working in groups in the past I never got the opportunity to be heard,” Genevieve explains. “Having had issues with social anxiety, I find one of the biggest skills I lack is confidence. This resulted in me struggling to work in teams, as even if I have the answer or ideas to put forward, I struggle to communicate them.
“This internship gave me an opportunity to improve my communication skills, which was my main goal. My confidence and ability to work in a team has also improved.
“I found each day inspiring. My favourite part was my end of internship presentation. I enjoyed writing my speech and creating the PowerPoint, but most of all it helped me feel more confident to do presentations.”
Learning about the world of work
“During my internship I learnt a lot about how student loans work, as well as how the Student Loans Company runs,” says Genevieve. “I got an insight into many roles in areas such as quality assurance and technology.
“I feel more prepared to join the world of work, as I now know what skills I need, and that it isn’t such a scary place after all.”
Plans for the future
“Some things that haven’t changed are that I am still a very organised and determined person, whose main focus is my academics,” says Genevieve.
“I’m currently in year 13, and plan to go to university to study economics/actuarial science. Once I have graduated, I would like to work as an Actuary.
“The Career Ready programme will help me a lot when I do my placement year in university, and once I start working full time. I feel like I have the skills needed to succeed.
“It is an unmissable opportunity.”
