An Influential Internship Experience: Zev’s Story

Meet Zev, a 24-year-old first-year Liberal Arts student.

After moving to Southampton in 2021, Zev decided to complete an ACCESS to Higher Education Course to secure a placement to the University. Before coming to university, Zev was worried about coming to university as a mature, transgender student. But Ignite gave him a chance to meet new people, giving him confidence and a sense of structure in an unfamiliar setting. The financial support of Ignite has also given him the freedom to focus on his future career goals. Zev aspires to be a journalist and has used some of his Ignite Bursary to create an online portfolio to showcase his work.

Zev’s Ignite Internship
Thanks to his Ignite internship, Zev has developed his passion and skills in communication. Zev completed a two-week internship as a Communications Officer with the Public Policy Southampton team. In the role, Zev learned how to use content management software, design tools and scheduling platforms, providing a chance to hone his technical and creative skills. The internship saw Zev gain in-depth knowledge on the organisation, scheduling and more complex aspects of using social media as a professional tool. “The teams at Public Policy Southampton were amazing,” Zev shared. “They were very welcoming and supportive, they took time out of their busy schedules to have 1-to-1 meetings, explain their roles and what skills they use regularly.”

Looking to the future
The skills Zev developed during his internship have reinforced his enthusiasm for political journalism and given him a clearer sense of career direction. Zev reflected on the impact the internship had on his aspirations, “I think that without the internship, I would still be ‘on the fence’ about my career aims and about whether my goals were achievable with the skills I had beforehand. The experience of working alongside a team in my interest area has been very useful in solidifying my goals and giving me deeper insight into the world of politics.”

Through access to a guaranteed, paid internship, Zev gained first-hand experience of a professional environment in a relevant field. The tasks set by the Public Policy team gave Zev a chance to learn knowledge in an area he greatly enjoys, that is beneficial to both his studies and career development. “This internship has proven my love for political journalism and the realm of politics,” he explained. “It has given me 1-to-1 opportunities to find out even more about different roles and has been really useful in making my portfolio more professional.”

Zev’s internship experience highlights the positive, influential impact that Ignite’s placements can have on a student’s personal and professional journey.

“The confidence and experience I have gained from my first year with Ignite has been outstanding and I am looking forward to what the future brings. Thank you.”