A way to support your learning
In August 2021, I received an email from the Employability and Careers Service at the University of Greenwich. It was a newsletter advertising a range of placement opportunities. The internship that stood out to me was an internship with the University of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada. I decided to apply for it, and I was accepted to work for twelve weeks on a project that was relevant to my BSc (Hons) Forensic Science programme. The project involved finding a novel post-mortem estimation interval in forensic investigations.
Step out of your comfort zone
For my internship, I acted as a Research Assistant at the University of Moncton. My daily activities included collecting samples from the field, analysing the samples, and producing statistical data to corroborate the team’s findings.
This experience will support my learning in my course modules and my work for my final year project, as this internship has inspired me onto the path of forensic entomology research.
The best parts about completing this internship were that I stepped out of my comfort zone and broadened my perspectives in areas of forensic science, in particular forensic entomology and medico-legal analysis.
A glimpse into real work in the field
The experience was interesting and eye-opening into forensic science careers. It brought me out of my comfort zone and led to personal development and more connections. Furthermore, this internship enhanced my communication skills in both English and French, and as part of my internship I contributed as an author on a scientific journal. The paper is titled ‘When the red-lined carrion beetle disrupts successional dynamics on large vertebrate carcasses’.
I also had the opportunity to participate at my very first scientific conference, hosted by the Acadian Entomological Society in Truro, Nova Scotia. I won the first place for the poster presentation contest and had the chance to talk to academics and experts in a variety of fields.
I would recommend current students apply for internships to gain experience, explore areas of industry, develop transferable skills, and gain expert knowledge.
The University of Greenwich encourages students to take up opportunities to work or volunteer. The University’s dedicated Employability and Careers Service regularly shares opportunities that might be relevant to students and holds workshops to support students with developing their employability skills. The university also has a dedicated Placements and Internships Team, who run twice weekly drop-ins and one-to-one appointments, and are contactable by the same email, employability@gre.ac.uk.
