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Doing an internship is a fantastic way to get involved with a top UK charity, build on your existing skills or explore a change of career. But don't just take our word for it - find out from Emmanuel, Kate and Miranda, who were interns at Macmillan's head office in London.
Emmanuel is now temping for Macmillan as a marketing assistant.
I didn’t study for a career in marketing at all, so I needed some sort of experience. I saw the role on www.charityjobs.co.uk| .
One of the things I loved about interning at Macmillan was that there wasn’t a typical day. Each day was different. Work ranged from organising meetings with the copywriters and designers to collating information.
When I had the chance to project manage for the first time on a Grafton Merchanting poster - one of Macmillan’s corporate partners.
I’m currently temping at Macmillan as a Brand and Marketing Assistant. So I would definitely say that the internship got me to where I am now. It gave me the skills that I needed for this line of work, as I didn’t have a background in marketing.
Try and get to know people on a more personal level, rather than just having a working relationship with them. Take part in all the social activities if you can.
And try and learn as much as possible from the people around you. Be yourself, because Macmillan chose you for that exact reason.
After completing her internship, Kate went on to become Coordinator on the Boots and Macmillan partnership.
I love the charity and agree with its core values.
It's a cause close to my heart as I have family members who've died from cancer and who are currently being treated for it.
Macmillan is a leader in the charitable sector, which looks great on your CV, especially when applying for roles within the sector. I also liked the fact that the internships are structured. You're given a set role and responsibilities, not just making coffee and photocopying!
I interned with the Survivorship team, which really opened my eyes to what Macmillan does and the pathway of people affected by cancer. I was responsible for advertising the care plan, and encouraging people to take part and then recording their opinions. I also began writing the evaluation of the pilot, which was an enormous responsibility and one I was honoured to be assigned.
The highlight was meeting some fascinating people who wanted to use their cancer experience to help others. Humbling and insightful, they made me realise my decision to leave a well-paid sales role to follow a dream of working for a charity was the right one.
I really tried to get involved in everything the internship had to offer. I took part in Macmillan pub quizzes, the sports day and a photo shoot for the website.
I was encouraged to work shadow other departments and get to know the whole of Macmillan and not just the department I was directly working with. As a result I met lots of people and found corporate partnerships really interesting. I spent a few days working on the Boots partnership, which coincidently is where I eventually started working as a full time member of staff. I've worked on all areas including fundraising, volunteering, services and PR and communications.
My internship gave me vital background knowledge into the work of Macmillan and the people we support. This makes me feel really passionate about fundraising for Macmillan.
Make the most of your internship. Work hard and complete the jobs you've been given to the best of your ability but also take time to meet people in other departments. When roles come up at Macmillan, you want to feel confident you've made a positive impression on the person recruiting, whether that's because you've shadowed them at work or just had a nice chat at the photocopier!
Miranda's now joined the Special Events team as Events Organiser.
I chose Macmillan as the internship was specifically angled at the type of events I wanted to organise. The charity sector has always appealed to me because the money raised goes towards helping people.
For my internship I worked on Gulls’ Eggs, Tug of War, and the Brick Lane Takeover. The event days were all highlights. Even though it’s manic and mad sometimes, it’s incredibly enjoyable and rewarding seeing all your hard work pay off.
Working in such a brilliant team made the internship so worthwhile and everyday I seemed to learn something new about event management.
Last year I worked at Alzheimer’s Society. Then in January 2011 I started back at Macmillan as a Special Events Organiser.
Take every chance you have to volunteer at anything, to meet different teams or to set up meetings in areas you’re particularly interested in. Record all the work you do and the people you meet in a work diary so you have a record of everything you’ve done. Plus, stay in touch with your team as you never know what jobs may come up.
Find an internship or volunteering opportunity to suit your skills and interests.
Current internship opportunities
Learn more about World's Biggest Coffee Morning internships
Volunteer for Macmillan
Become a Cancer Voice
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