Campus Intern of the Year
Posted on 16 November 2018
Elizabeth Holling, an English and Related Literature (old) student, is this year’s Campus Intern of the Year for her outstanding contribution and achievements during her summer internship. Working with a team of staff and students, she helped to launch the Thin Ice Press - a common press reconstruction and letterpress, based on one that belonged to Thomas Gent (the York printer who produced pamphlets on the frozen River Ouse in 1740).
Elizabeth said:
"I discovered the role through Careers Gateway. A number of summer internship roles caught my eye – one, in particular, was the ‘Printing Press Development Internship.’ I was just about to submit my dissertation proposal on the Gutenberg Parenthesis, so it was perfect! It was also the middle of exam season, I hadn’t updated my CV in a while and I had limited experience with cover letters. I looked to the careers gateway for some advice and ended up booking a CV Review and a Mock Interview. The advice was invaluable. They helped me craft a strong CV and gave me some great interview tips to improve my application quickly and effectively."
"It’s been incredible to join the project at such an early stage, having an influence over its evolution. This fairly blank slate of a project required a resourceful and creative approach and I was left to determine the best way to create and manage the online presence. Alongside this I practiced the transferable skills of dealing with email enquiries, working with external partners and making contacts. I’ve also gained experience in research and archival work, the practicalities of printing and attended conferences. I recently put my creativity to the test and produced a fundraising video for the Thin Ice Press’ YuStart crowdfunding page. There’s so much you can get out of opportunities like this."
"I never even dreamed I would incorporate so many of my interests into a single job – from archival work, the future of print, photography and even typefaces. It has also cemented my love for archival work and the experience has shown me what will make me happy in a future job. I am truly invested in the project and delighted to have been invited to carry on my role throughout the summer, up to the launch in September. It has even inspired me to launch a Printing Society."
"For anyone thinking about taking on an internship, just go for it! I was so close to not applying as the application fell during exams, but I’m so glad I did. It’s one of the best things I’ve done at University. There are some amazing opportunities out there and the careers team can help so much. Of course there is a focus on employability, but internships can also be really fun! I’m incredibly lucky this internship directly reflected my interests. While internships may not hold all the answers for people still thinking about what they want to do, they are still a great way to discover new interests and cement existing ones."
The York Internships is an exclusive service to University of York students providing project-based, fully paid internships. These internships are coordinated with local York employers, can last for 2 to 12 weeks and range from part-time to full-time roles. There are a huge variety of opportunities and internships, which are offered all year round. The Student Internship Bureau is located in Careers with opportunities advertised on Careers Gateway under the ‘Exclusive Opportunities’ tab.