George: SPORT Manchester - Sports Heritage Intern
Why did you choose to do an SEI?
To gain good experience working in a 9-5 job and to improve my skills for working life. I liked the fact that the SEI is a University scheme and that if I had any queries/problems I could contact someone to help me, whereas external internships may not offer this support. As this internship was based in a University department, I knew that the people working there would be friendly (I was correct).
Give a brief snapshot of your role:
• Documenting the key events and achievements of sport at The University of Manchester.
• Looking at the role that our University has played in 100 years of British University and Colleges Sport.
• Celebrating The University of Manchester's heritage.
What were the most enjoyable aspects of your role?
Digging up and resurfacing forgotten information (key individuals, facility changes, governance etc), which was very important for understanding the significance of sport at our University. Working within such a nice team and having a structured working schedule. I also enjoyed the fact I was the only student doing this project, and found delivering a presentation to be very rewarding.
Did you have any worries or concerns before your internship? Were these overcome and if so how?
I didn't have any worries apart from the fact that I wasn't sure on the approach I would take to gathering the information. However, this was overcome by liaising with UoM's Heritage Manager who gave me clear direction for collecting information.
What did you gain most from the role in terms of insights and skills?
I improved my ability to work well within a team and to make sure that I always get my point across in meetings and workshops. I learnt to always ask for help if I need it and to listen to other people's views and ideas. The project has really improved my decision-making.
Do you have any words of wisdom for future interns?
Make sure you select an internship that you are interested in. I love sport and I love history so this project was brilliant for me. Ask people for help when you need it (even if you have to ask 50 times), if you don't, you won't make any progress. Make sure that anything you work on is saved and backed up so you don't lose it!
