Molly James
Impact Internship: Events Coordinator at Nurture Community
BA Liberal Arts and Sciences, 2021
Tell us a bit about yourself and your internship
Hello, I’m Molly. I recently graduated from the University of Birmingham, studying Liberal Arts and Sciences, and I completed an Impact Internship last summer. I got a place at an organisation called Nurture Community. They are a community interest company who work on improving the well-being of society, like the health, wealth and happiness using arts and crafts and any other means possible. They run events throughout the summer, so my role was events coordinator, and they were also really flexible on other roles I did.
I helped with fundraising because that was a career I wanted to go into after and also accessibility and inclusivity. They wanted to improve so I did a kind of audit of that and improved that for them. Also, the days I worked and the hours they were really flexible, we decided to do two months part-time, rather than one month full-time, so I could see more of the events over the summer and get more of an insight into the organisation. I really enjoyed working there and it was a great opportunity.
What were your reasons/motivations for applying to this internship?
The reason I applied for an Impact Internship was to get an insight into the industry I want to work in in the future. I thought a possible career choice would be charity or a non-profit organisation, and they had so many opportunities in that sector, so I decided to apply for quite a lot. Mine was really interesting and I did meet a lot of like-minded people, and I also networked quite a lot, met loads of people on LinkedIn who've introduced me to new organisations and new people, so it was a really interesting space to work in. Also, we were running events so traveling to different locations and seeing the different non-profit and third sector organisations that operate in the West Midlands was really helpful.
I got an insight into the running of the organisation. Mine was interesting because they were all doing it alongside their full-time jobs. The three founders set it up as a side project because of their passions for the well-being of society and community, so I think I learned a lot and I became a lot clearer on what I want to do in the future and committing to social justice.
What did you gain from doing this internship?
This role helped me identify my own strengths and weaknesses while working in a team. I also gained insight into working with different kinds of people and appreciating their skill sets and understanding that you might work in different ways to people. I also had lots of different experiences in different parts of the organisation which is really good for my CV, such as copywriting, social media, accessibility and inclusivity, and also fundraising. So all of these I was able to talk in interviews after and have an idea of where I want to go in the future and where my skills are based.
What is your top tip for students or graduates interested in applying to the Impact Internship Scheme?
My top tip for getting an Impact Internship is to really research the organisation you're applying to. Research them, understand their values, their work, their impact, and where they operate, what they've done. You really need to go thoroughly through everything and then in your cover letter, apply your previous skills and experiences to the roles that they want you to do. This will make them know that you've understood their drive and their passion and you're much more likely to get an interview or an offer. Good luck!