Listen to this and all the previous episodes.

• Information about Experience Heritage
• To find out more about the Student Internship Bureau
• Advice for international students on working in the UK
• Digital, IT and Cyber Security job sector
• Information technology jobs
• Museums and heritage job sector
• Graphic designer job profile

Related podcasts:

• From TV to tech, with Vivien Chung
• Working in heritage: In the archive in lockdown
• Marketing in the museum, with Tasha McNaught
• Historical consulting for video games, with Nicholas Gliserman

Transcript:

Kate:

You’re listening to the ‘What Do You Actually Do?’ podcast. Each week we want to bring you an inspiring interview, a useful tip or encouraging message to help you find your place in the professional world. 

Hello and welcome to this episode of ‘What Do You Actually Do?’. My name’s Kate Morris, and I’ll be your host today. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about doing an internship with the Student Internship Bureau. Today we’re joined by Ashley Loo, who’s doing a graphic design internship with immersive technology company Experience Heritage. So, Ashley, what do you actually do? 

Ashley:

So basically, I work as a user experience designer for their new app that they’re trying to launch. I also work on their graphic design side as well, if they need any help with that. But most of my work is basically looking at how the app will flow, and how visitors might interact with it. Because, basically, the app is supposed to be a platform for groups or families that are going around York to experience the heritage around this city. Basically, I take a look at what users might want, from market insights or other apps, and change their initial app or redesign it to fit the objective, which is basically to have a more accessible app that allows people to go touring around York. 

Kate:

It sounds like you’re using a lot of different skills there, and there’s a real range of tasks that you’re responsible for. What was the actual process of getting the internship? 

Ashley:

Yeah, so basically, I actually applied through Handshake, which is this like student, I’m not sure if it’s a student portal, but it’s a portal for internships and sometimes jobs. So they had an application there, and I wrote out why I wanted to join the internship. And then the second round was an interview and I sent them my portfolio as well, so they could look through it while we talked during the interview. And then after that I got picked and we started our internship. 

Kate:

Briliant! Well, just to clarify, Handshake is used by York University and a few other universities in the UK, and lots of universities in America. It’s kind of a platform for, as you say, looking at jobs, internships, but also booking appointments with your career service, that kind of thing. So what attracted you to this internship specifically? 

Ashley:

I mean, I felt like this internship was really interesting in the sense that you wouldn’t really think of technology and history or heritage merging together. And I felt like it was a very unique type of experience, because it’s something that you can only kind of have in York, since there is this big focus on technology and digital advancement, but there’s also like a lot of historical architecture around, which is what I think the company is trying to highlight. And so I thought that was just really interesting, because why not take the chance to work on something that is nearby, and not go out to London or like the other bigger cities and try to do something outside of what I already have in York. So that’s why I was very interested in it, because I could work on both the historical aspect and also the digital aspect. It was really interesting because they were very open to letting me do other things, for example, like illustrations or like social media graphics, so I could do whatever I wanted. Like, I could just propose to them ideas, and they were rather open to me, like pitching them new ideas for their social media. And eventually I did one illustration for their Twitter as well, which was really fun. 

Kate:

That’s amazing! So it sounds like you’ve really made the most of this opportunity and been really proactive about shaping it to the things that you’re interested in, as well as just being open to doing the tasks that they’re asking you for. That’s really great to hear. So you’re studying Interactive Media here at the University of York. Are you using any particular skills or subject knowledge from your degree in your internship? Because it sounds like there’s a combination of technical things that you’re doing, but also research skills and lots of other things. So how is your degree helping you, or is it something completely new that you’re learning? 

Ashley:

I think my degree has helped quite a bit, because we do a lot of obviously with Photoshop and all the Adobe creative software we have touched upon in the first year, and then second year now we’re learning user experience design, which is a huge part of what I’m doing in the internship. So knowing how to use the research methods that were introduced in the module, I can use it in my internship as well. 

Kate:

How does that feel then, to sort of see it play out in real life? Because it’s one thing to learn about something in quite abstract terms, the theory of it. How does it feel to see it actually happen in real life? 

Ashley:

It’s actually really exciting, because you always think that whatever you learn, you might not know how to actually actualise it when you’re in the job, and to see it have an impact on the final product or like the product that you’re building is just quite magical in a sense. Because you feel like you’ve made an impact as one person on the whole project, and also that you can hear the input from outsiders really translate into an app that is very technological, but you can see the human aspect of it in it. 

Kate:

That must be amazing to sort of think – “Yeah, I did that and people are using it”. 

Ashley:

Yeah, it’s not available to use yet because it’s still in production stage, but I really do hope I get to see it being used by groups of people who want to explore York. 

Kate:

So what new strengths or skills do you feel that you’re discovering or developing in the internship? 

Ashley:

I would say that, because there was another intern in this internship as well, and he works on more of the 3D side of things, which is like modelling and so on and so forth, and like just hearing about his advice on certain things, or about the advice from my employers, it makes me more open to feedback and criticism. So like, I think I’m better at receiving it now and also at tweaking my work to what I think more people would accept, or like I would understand their goals better. Because I’m not the best person at communicating with people, but I think my communication skills got a little bit better from just having regular meetings with them, and understanding what they want, and also just learning how to phrase my ideas when I need to get it across. 

Kate:

That sounds amazing! Sounds like a really useful experience, then. 

Ashley:

Yeah, I feel like it helps with a lot of teamwork and leadership opportunities in the future, because then you can, like, point out that – yeah, I’ve worked in the team and I have a very clear understanding of how to pitch forward an idea.  

Kate:

I think it’s also potentially a great example to use if you, kind of in an interview or a future job application, if you’re asked – “Oh, you know, what are your weaknesses?”, that’s a really great example of something. You felt weaker on the communication skills, but you’ve addressed it, you’ve learnt through this experience, getting the feedback, trial and error, learning from others, and you’ve now improved that skills. So I think sometimes just having different experiences, it just gives you so much more to talk about in future job interviews as well. 

Ashley:

Yeah, definitely. I do think so, too, because like if you don’t have that many experiences, sometimes it’s difficult to explain where you’ve gained your skills from or give proof to what your skills are. 

Kate:

So what was the biggest challenge that you’ve encountered in the internship? 

Ashley:

I think the biggest challenge is definitely managing time, because with uni going on as well, it was just kind of difficult trying to put… Because even though the schedule was quite relaxed, I still wanted to complete 20 hours per week, which is the maximum that you have on an international student visa, so a Tier 4 visa. So I was trying my best to basically schedule my uni work first and then do the internship work. But sometimes that’s not how it works out, because of the time difference that one of our like employers had, because he’s in the US. So I just felt like you have to really pay attention to what is most important and what will take most time. You might do the thing that would be most time consuming first so that you don’t get stressed towards the end of the internship or towards the end of the term. That was the most difficult part. 

Kate:

I reckon that’s a really good kind of skill to learn, how to prioritise. And I suppose when the internship finishes, life will feel really easy for the final bit of your term. 

Ashley:

Yeah. 

Kate:

It sounds like there’s loads of things that you’re proud of from the experience so far, but what would you say is the key thing? What do you really take away from this, and feel proud of from the experience? 

Ashley:

I think it’s mainly just really getting out of my comfort zone to talk to a business that is local as well, because I’m very used to just being… Because I’m from Singapore, so I’m very used to talking to like Singaporeans or like getting along with people who are international students, but actually talking to the locals, you get to understand what their culture is like and also the work culture, which is very important because now I understand how to phrase certain things, or say certain things, or how they work, the pacing of it, because it’s really different from when I was back in Singapore. And it’s good to be on the same wavelength as people in the country so that you don’t feel excluded. And I feel like that was my biggest takeaway, that I finally understand how things might work around here. 

Kate:

On the same note then, how do you think this experience has impacted on your career plans or your sort of general employability? 

Ashley:

I feel like it’s let me know that I really do enjoy design in general, and I do enjoy the pace of work over here. I believe I would do even better once I graduate from university, because then I wouldn’t have my university work to do. But I really hope that I could go out into more creative studios, because what I realised from this internship is that I do love digital work, and work about heritage and all that, but that’s not my expertise. So that got me thinking that I want to do something more creative and maybe put my experience and knowledge that I gained from this into my future works. But of course, I do still want to work on this project because we’ve been working on this for ages now and I just want to see it fully complete and working. 

Kate:

Yeah, that sounds really useful, though, to get that clarification that you now know it’s a creative environment is the one that’s going to suit you best. So you mentioned earlier that you’re originally from Singapore. So as an international student, do you have any specific advice for other international students who are considering trying to get work experience in the UK? Because I know sometimes people can feel, you know, it’s going to be difficult, will anybody actually give me a chance. What tips would you give them? What’s your best advice? 

Ashley:

I feel like if you’re in the design or media industry, or even like the art industry, the best way to get an internship is to really create a portfolio. And it doesn’t have to be work from like, it doesn’t have to be commercial work, it can be from the societies you join. Like if you have a graphic design role in a society, you can use the poster you have created and put it into your portfolio. Anything that really shows that you’ve been putting, like, continuous effort into your work and wanting to build that career is a sign of a good intern. So I feel like it doesn’t matter if you’re an international student as long as you show that – “Hey, I’ve been doing work here”, and if you do any work back home, you can still put it in your portfolio. Basically, having a visual representation of what you’ve been doing is the best way to kind of attract employers. And I also think that if you feel like your English will get in the way, I don’t think that will really be the case, because I’ve heard of other students who, like English isn’t their first language, and they still got an internship because of their work being so great. So in Singapore, the way we speak English is still really different from over here. So sometimes I feel like I might come off too rude or too straightforward, or it’s just like, it sounds like it lacks a bit of sincerity because it’s too blunt. So that’s what my fear always was, and it kind of stops me from networking with people properly, or doing events it’s very hard for me to talk. So there’s that barrier, and having your portfolio on hand is really good and just showing them that, you know – I’m really interested in this job or what you’re doing, but I just have a bit of a difficulty translating this. Obviously, you have to work on it, but having something visual to show someone is like a support for you. If you’re afraid, I feel like just try to put your link of the portfolio upfront. In my cover letter, I put the link of my portfolio on the bottom – I’m not sure if it’s allowed – but by putting it there, at least they get to see the work speak for itself. So it makes you less afraid, because you know that you have trust in your work. And if you feel like you don’t have enough work, I think the best way is to sign up for a lot of societies and try to ask them if they have anything for you to do, because it’s hard to just get into events or like internships with no CV or portfolio. 

Kate:

I think that’s really good advice because even if you’re not a creative person and you don’t have a portfolio, to have in your CV a record of the activities you’ve been involved in and the skills that you’ve got to offer, as you say, that’s a nice kind of comfort blanket in a way it can kind of perhaps articulate things more clearly than maybe you can at first verbally. So with your portfolio, it sounds like it’s an online virtual portfolio rather than a physical portfolio that someone would turn the pages of. Is that correct? 

Ashley:

That’s correct. So basically online one is generally easier, because then you can send it out really quickly. 

Kate:

Did you use a particular platform for that, or did you build it yourself? 

Ashley:

Yeah, so I just used Wix, because it’s really quite a lot of effort to build it yourself. 

Kate:

From what you were saying earlier, having this internship has helped you to understand culturally some of the differences between the workplace in Singapore and the workplace here, and now you feel more confident in that communication and the different cultural expectations of you. 

Ashley:

Yeah, definitely. It really has helped a lot just with practice, I guess, with time and practice, because you really need that. And it’s really what the internships give you, the experience to talk with people that might not be like the most like-minded people, but that’s the whole point of an internship is to learn from other people who are more experienced than you in the industry. 

Kate:

So for more information about the careers we’ve mentioned today, I’m going to add some relevant links to the show notes and a link to the full transcript of today’s show. Ashley, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. It sounds like your internship is going absolutely brilliantly, and is going to be something to be really proud of with the work that you’ve done there. So well done for that, sounds amazing! And thank you for all your insights and advice today. 

Ashley:

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity as well. 

Kate:

Thank you for joining us this week on ‘What Do You Actually Do?’. This episode was hosted by me, Kate Morris, edited by Stephen Furlong and produced by both of us. If you love this podcast, spread the word and follow us. Are you eager to get more tips? Follow University of York Careers and Placements on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. All useful links are in this episode’s description. This has been produced at the University of York Careers and Placements. For more information visit york.ac.uk/careers