Throughout the year, we invite our interns to introduce themselves and share their messages with employers. Meet our current intern, Analise, who joins us as a trainee marketing and research manager and will be assessing employers that will receive the Access Generation Accreditation.

Meet Analise

Hello! 

My name is Analise, I’m 23 and have just graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Politics with Economics. 

Growing up I dreaded the question ‘what do you want to be when you’re older?’ Not because I lacked ambition, more so that I didn’t really have a specific career pathway in mind. For A-levels I studied Biology, Chemistry and Spanish, then decided to try something different at university. During my placement year, I worked for a charity whose ambition is to tackle educational inequality. I had the responsibility of leading a group of volunteers, and together we worked as a team to mentor disadvantaged pupils, supporting their academic and personal development. This was one of the most rewarding experiences that I have participated in to-date. It made me realise that throughout my academic career, the commonality between the subjects I had studied was the ambition to learn and develop my skills so that I would be able to in some capacity help people and make a positive contribution in society. 

One of the biggest takeaway messages from my placement was that although everyone deserves the opportunity to feel supported and realise their potential, the reality is so many children end up falling short due to circumstances out of their control. In some respects you could say this parallels the employability market today when it comes to young people. What I mean by this is that there are so many talented and eager individuals who want to work but due to their inexperience feel inadequate in applying for jobs or simply get rejected. What appealed to me about interning at Access Generation was the uniqueness of their mission in wanting to make a difference in the employability market by encouraging employers to hire inexperienced young people (which as a recent graduate I feel passionately about). I also felt that Access Generation not only values what young people have to say but are committed to amplifying our voices to ensure that there are more inclusive opportunities available in the future. Personally and professionally during this internship I hope to continue building my confidence and broaden my own skillset when it comes to marketing. I look forward to working on research projects knowing that I am helping make a difference, whilst also gaining valuable experience that will make me more competitive in today’s employability market. 

Analise’s message to employers

My message to employers is to be more open in helping nurture and develop the skills that the incoming working generation has. I think young individuals have so much to offer when it comes to adding value in the form of bringing a fresh perspective and new ideas but are also really ambitious and keen to learn. As a student-athlete, I have always been surrounded by other students who have trained and competed at a high level, whilst simultaneously applying this work ethic to excel across all other endeavours. This shows there are so many dedicated and willing young people who are capable of rising to the challenge, but to do so need the correct tools, opportunity, and support.

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Did you know…?

Universities typically have an employability team who work to match students with employment opportunities including internships. An internship is often a short paid work experience and a chance for the student and employer to ‘try before they buy’. Internships are often part or fully funded.

For more information, visit their website https://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/careers/employers/sme/lborotalentmatch/