By Hollie Jackson Ireland, PGR Intern for Research Culture (2023-2024)
In October 2020, I began my PhD in Virology. Three years later, and while still working away at gaining my doctorate, I successfully secured the part-time role of PGR Intern for Research Culture specialising in Researcher Communities, in the Research Culture and Researcher Development Team. Now, as I come to the end of my internship and reflect on my experience over the last 11 months, I think back to some of the skills that were listed in the application for this role and that I included on my CV. Through my internship, the growth I feel in these skills alone is immense and as I reflect on moving forward in my career I’d like to share with you some of the key ways in which I have developed.
What skills I have developed?
1. Events management and project coordination
The job description for my intern role required: i) Experience in event management, and ii) Ability to host events.
I have had the opportunity to co-lead on events such as the Research Professional Staff Network’s (RPSN’s) Festive Fun event. This involved organising sign-ups, catering, room bookings and my personal favourite, the games! If you have worked with me at any point, you’ll likely know how passionate I am about incorporating fun into the art of creative networking! I believe the most important lesson for me has been learning what works for different groups and understanding that not everyone can justify time off work to ‘just network’. You must sell your event to your audience, making it clear what they can gain from spending their time with you.
I co-led the development of the Research Professional Staff Network (RPSN) alongside my colleague, Dr Elaine Gourlay, and had influence over strategic decisions related to the Network’s aims, Action Plan, the establishment of the first Executive Committee and the RPSN’s inaugural conference.
This large-scale conference management work involved making event design decisions about every aspect and the creation of a detailed action plan covering venue liaison, menu choices, design of printed materials, hosting pre-workshops, and the delegate experience on the day including event inclusivity and accessibility, welcome packs and a poster-based networking game. Tasks such as these may not immediately come to mind when thinking of the work of organising a conference, but ones that undoubtedly made the day feel more personal.
At times I felt completely out of my depth with this large complex event, particularly as a STEM PGR organising a non-STEM conference. However, when reflecting on this process, I find myself grateful to have had this opportunity and proud of the contributions I made to the day.
During this process I learned how important it is to take into consideration how it would feel to attend as a delegate and I believe incorporating this into my decision making was vital to the conference’s success. I genuinely enjoyed this whole process and am delighted to look back and know that I played a large part in such an important day.
2. Communication
Essential skill from the intern Job Description: “Ability to engage appropriately with staff and excellent communication skills that are tailored to the task”.
Communication has been at the crux of what I do in my internship. My first task as an intern was to reach out to UofG communities to determine how active these communities are, to introduce myself and the team, and to build relationships. This information was used to inform a coherent university-wide approach and you now can find all communities supported by the RC&RD team on our webpage.
Since then, I have been reaching out to new contacts, designing and generating content for newsletters, and advertising our events or services. Most importantly, I have been developing my own style of writing and building my confidence so pressing send isn’t so scary!
Tailoring comms pieces to different groups of people has undoubtedly been one of my biggest areas of growth. Prior to this internship, any comms I sent out were aimed at PGRs or were for social events, and so the tone was always casual. Over the last year I have learned the balance between professional and fun, to drum up excitement but represent the whole team professionally.
3. Public speaking
‘Confident public speaking’ was another essential skill specifically listed on the Intern Job Description.
As a child and teenager, I was a big theatre kid and loved being on stage. As I’ve gotten older and stopped acting, I developed a fear of speaking in front of large groups of people. I was able to do it, but I would need weeks of practice, and I would feel nervous the whole time I was up there. I don’t know when this changed again, and I wish I could pinpoint one situation, but somehow over the last year that fear has dissolved into excitement and enjoyment!
I wonder if it was hosting the games at the RPSN’s Festive Fun event? Presenting my PhD work at a microbiology conference? Co-leading the RPSN’s conference? Presenting my poster at the same conference? Or was it speaking at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research’s ‘Careers outside research, inside academia’ about my internship? Or maybe it was the sheer volume of practice, that has created confidence borne of familiarity? Whatever it was, I am so thankful to have had all these opportunities to regain my confidence and conquer that fear.
What are the challenges I came across?
One of the reasons this internship has been so valuable and I’ve learned so much is because I have been challenged, allowing me to evolve and improve. I would be remiss not to mention these challenges when reflecting on the internship.
I am contracted to the Research Culture and Researcher Development Team for just 8 hours per week which meant sometimes it has been difficult to complete everything that I wanted to. I have had to very quickly learn to be efficient with my time and realistic with any additional tasks I decided to take on. Time management was vital as I was also juggling working in the lab for my PhD. To avoid over working I had to learn to plan well, stay true to my hours, and prioritise all my tasks.
However, I would say my biggest challenge has been engaging with very activity you are reading. Writing blog posts. The self-reflective writing style common to the blogging genre is completely out of my comfort zone. This is the third blog post I have written throughout my internship and I’m relieved to say it gets easier! I believe the confidence I have gained through all the comms I have generated has made this much less daunting.
Moving forward
I will be at the front of the queue to recommend an internship with the Research Culture and Researcher Development Team. Applying to this job has been the best decision I have taken throughout my time as a PGR, and I never could have predicted how much I would have loved my time in the Team. I have had lots of varied opportunities to develop, I generate strong evidence of my skills, and be creative – opportunities that have complemented my lab life as a PGR. The support I have felt from the whole team and from my manager Elaine has allowed me to grow in skill and confidence which will serve me well, beyond this internship. I have loved working in this team and alongside some absolute powerhouses. It has given me the confidence to take on large projects in my PhD too, such as Garscube’s first Pride Picnic. This internship is something I will take with me as I embark on my journey out of my PhD and into my long-term career.
The Auditorium: a research culture and researcher development blog 