How to get yourself an internship/work experience (with me, anyway)

I'm incredibly fortunate to have had some of the opportunities I've had in my short career, and I am really enjoying helping other students do the same. With sport, health and fitness becoming an increasingly popular (and therefore, competitive) market, it can be really difficult to get a foot in the door. Although I'd love to have more opportunities to help people with- there's only so much time in the week!

My impostor syndrome very near stopped me writing and publishing this, as I don't feel near qualified or high-up enough in my field to write about what people should or shouldn't be doing. But having been an intern and taken on interns myself, I figured that I have at least seen themes and patterns in what I look for in interns, and observed what makes a good intern in other disciplines.

If nothing else, you'll at least have my thoughts on the matter. You're free to disregard them as rubbish if you wish.

With this in mind, and as I've already had a few emails from people asking for experience in the next academic year (whenever that will be!), here are a few tips on how to make a good first impression, and improve your chances of getting an internship and work experience.

1. Don't have your heart set on one internship

Some people might not agree on me with this. But I don't personally think you need to have experience working in a certain sport, to be ready to have a job in that sport.

I think it's the mark of a good practitioner to be able to move relatively seamlessly across different sports, age groups, ability levels etc and work with almost anyone. This requires the development of skills in understanding the people, the sport, the demands, the culture- everything. The best way to do this- get a very diverse background.

I've been lucky in my previous experience (and current roles) to have worked across a number of different sports with athletes and individuals at different levels, as well as general population individuals and recreationally active people.This gave me experience of working with different people, and tailoring my approach to get them results and work with them successfully.

So if you don't get the internship in the sport you want to work in. Don't focus on what you've missed, focus on the skills you can learn from being in a sport outside of your comfort zone.

2. Be willing to work with anyone, and do anything

This leads me nicely on to my next point.

I often tell students that I talk to that I've learnt as much from working with general population clients as I have from working with athletes. If you can get behaviour change from a middle-aged mum of 3 with a busy job and not much time to exercise/shop/cook food, you'll have some good skills to use when you work with athletes.

As an intern, you'll likely be given some of the less glamorous tasks to do. Do them, learn why they're considered less glamorous, and hone your skills so that it takes you less time to do when it becomes your less glamorous task in the future. If I ask an intern to do something for me, I'll often say

'This usually takes me this long, but I want to see if you can do it in...'

Not because I'm slow- but I want them to challenge themselves to find ways of making something more efficient, automating parts, and still getting the same outcome. This in itself is an important ability to develop.

3. You're often an investment, so show that you understand that

If you're on any sort of work experience or internship that goes beyond you standing and watching- then you become an investment. Someone has invested their time and resources to help you upskill in a certain way, to develop a certain skill or to learn a new topic.

Remember that you can't expect it to be a completely one way street- if they're investing so much in you (particularly their time- an especially important commodity in sport), then you have to give something back.

4. Explain what you'll contribute

I'm more than happy for students to email me about experience, having a chat about anything related to applied practice, internship opportunities etc. As I mentioned, I was extremely lucky with the opportunities and mentors I had, it's not something I take for granted and for me it's really important. I'll reply to everyone, even if I haven't got any current time and space to take someone on, and if I can help in any other way I will do my best.The only time I will get slightly irate, is when I get an email along the lines of;

'Hi, I need to do a placement/get experience- is this something you can help with?'

Whether it is or not, I'd like to have sort of return on the time I'm spending helping you get that experience. This sort of email suggests that they see the experience as a tick-box exercise, rather than a means of improving as a practitioner. As above, if you're going to contact a team, practitioner or employer- explain what you can offer.

5. Stand out a little

In the past I've had emails/applications that explain,

'I study .... which has allowed me to learn ...., I play ..... which has taught me ...., I also like going to the gym and eating healthily.'

That's great, but I've done university too- I know what courses offer you and what you've learnt from them. I'm not taking on your education background, I'm taking on you. I want to know about you as a person.

It's generic.

You're selling yourself in an email, so consider if you as a consumer would buy what you're selling, based on your description.

The answer is no. Show some passion!

What would I look for, in order to say someone has stood out?

I actually won't answer this, and it's partly because I'm not sure myself. I just know I want to see something else! You're working with people, they'll gravitate to you if you're personable.

Show me what makes you tick, what you love/hate, where you want to be- show me you're human!

6. Leave a lasting (positive) impression, by doing the basics well.

After a talk I gave to an MSc Nutrition course, I got asked by one student what I looked for in an intern.

This is a great question.

I think most students assume I want someone with the best nutrition knowledge, the best communication skills, the best with people, just the best full stop.

I don't.

Considering I have consistently taken 2nd year undergraduate students on as interns, I know this isn't something I'd get anyway. But it just isn't important.

The things I do look for? Number 1 is passion. If I can see that you've demonstrated a love for what you do, a desire to learn more, the willingness to spend time on your skills, research, making mistakes and reflecting on them. I will happily invest in you- because I know it's a worthwhile investment.

I'm certain I was not the best candidate when I applied for internships. I wasn't great with people, and completely neglected the importance of soft skills and working with people. But I think in the interview I demonstrated that I was passionate about nutrition. I could showcase that I'd read the research and understood it- not to impress someone or to finish an assignment- but because I found it bloody interesting and I was happy to spend my time learning it!

Show you care, show you're willing to put in the time to improve and engage.

7. Be relentless

Something I regret as a student is taking no for an answer. That's not to say you should repeatedly email the same person- but don't do what I did and send out 10 emails, get nothing- and then shrug your shoulders and say 'there's nothing going'.

There is.

You just haven't looked that hard. Or you've given up at the first hurdle. Or you've not thought about all of the paths your education could take you down. You could get into research- so have you emailed every lab in your area to ask if you could get experience there? You could go into public health- think how many different jobs there are that you are qualified to do, look who is in those jobs now and ask. You could work for yourself and coach people, either face to face or online- imagine if you already learnt a lot of the lessons on building a business, coaching without working with people face to face, and any other issues you might bump into on your journey of self-employment

(Take it from me, this would have been SO USEFUL looking back, but hindsight is a wonderful thing...)

Again, the impostor in me was reluctant to do this. There are many practitioners that are more qualified, high profile, with better experience than me in all of the above.

Other people may look for different things, expect different types of people or different approaches- that's fine. That's based on their experience and the world through their eyes. The above is merely my thoughts and opinions on things I like to see, and characteristics that I think are important and beneficial for young practitioners!

With this in mind, if you read this and you thought it was useful/you took something from it, please comment or drop me a message! That will reassure me that I'm not talking complete rubbish, and that being out in the heat today hasn't led to some form of mild sunstroke!

Likewise, if anyone has any questions, would like a chat and to talk shop/applied practice over a (currently virtual) coffee, then please let me know!