Lily Noble from Oldham College completed a four-week paid internship with the planning and development consultancy, Turley. Here, Lily and her mentor Sophie explain what they both learnt from the internship and how important these kinds of opportunities are for young people.
Developing my communication and team working skills
During my internship at Turley, I spent time within different teams learning about what they did – everyone was really welcoming. My favourite part was working with the HR team because I was able to sit in on a real interview. It was a great insight into what interview questions get asked and how to respond to them.
As well as improving my communication skills I was also able to work on my spelling and grammar. I now feel confident writing emails for a professional audience, which I had no experience of before.
Go for it!
I would advise any student considering applying to Career Ready to do it. You will improve the skills you already have and learn new ones. For me, the best part of the programme has been my mentor Sophie. Spending four weeks at Turley with Sophie has really boosted my confidence in a professional environment, she’s given me so much good advice.
Lily’s mentor and internship supervisor is Sophie Romain, Senior HR Advisor at Turley. Here, Sophie shares her experience of mentoring for the first time and the business benefits of providing paid internships to young people.
Interns can contribute to the work the team are already doing
This was the first time we’d hosted a Career Ready intern and I tried to bear in mind that Lily had not worked in an office environment before at all. Throughout the placement I ensured that Lily was supported as much as possible.
I was really impressed with Lily’s professionalism and willingness to try a range of different tasks. We’ve had positive feedback from all the teams Lily worked with, we really have enjoyed having her and appreciated her contributions. It was a really good experience.
A great perspective on young people entering the workplace
This was the first time I have mentored with Career Ready, and the support you get is great. I found that my position within the HR department was especially useful in supporting Lily with her CV, preparation for interviews and understanding what to expect in a workplace.
The opportunity to work with Lily has given me a great insight into young people entering the workplace.
As a business we really value offering meaningful and rewarding experiences to young people so that they have the opportunity to develop their workplace skills and knowledge. It’s only right for a business to support young people in a fair and inclusive way.
Get involved today and help more young people like Lily kickstart their futures.
