Emmah Fahad J.

Adult Services Research Internship
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Emmah Fahad J.
Psychology
Psychology
Undergraduate
James
2017
United Kingdom

My employment

Adult Services Research Internship
City of York Council
United Kingdom
Government and civil service / Healthcare / Science and research / Social care and social work
Large business (250+ employees)
2016
2016
£270

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A day in the life of a Adult Services Research Internship in the United Kingdom

Adult Services Research Internship at City of York Council.

How I looked for work

I found the job advertised on the Student Internship Bureau section on the Career's Gateway. It was easy to apply for the job, which required me to answer some questions and attach a CV.

How I found out about the job

Careers website (University of York)

The recruitment process

I received an email informing me I had been successful in gaining an interview. I attended the interview with other applicants, so it was a group interview. We were given a tour around one of the council's care homes, and then were left to interact with the residents. We were interviewed separately in the afternoon. I was telephoned about a hour later notifying me I had got the job.

My advice to students considering work

Good marks in your degree are important, but I think employers like it when you talk about your experiences outside of academic work. Whenever I have been to job interviews (including this one), they have always been incredibly more interested in what I have done outside of university.

Contacting me

You can contact me about how to get experience relevant to psychology (I have done quite a few voluntary/paid things). Or how to write a CV for an internship. Anything really - if you think I can help, please don't think twice about contacting me!

What I do

I conducted a research project examining short-term stays at Older People's Homes in York. I analysed a new pilot rolled out by the City of York Council and the NHS, as well as other aspects of adult social care.

Skills I use and how I developed them

- Communication Skills: I gained knowledge on how to communicate with those with dementia and other old-age related conditions. I also gained experience in how to get my points across in formal meetings, and how to be assertive.

- Research Skills: I gained practical experience in creating and distributing my own questionnaire and analysing it; dealing with quantitative and qualitative data; interviewing subjects and writing an overall report to be presented.

- Organisation Skills: I had to keep organised as I had meetings across different care homes, hospitals and offices. So I had to plan my time carefully.

What I like most

I liked being able to meet people from a variety of different professions. I was able to meet social workers, nurses, physiotherapists, health care assistants and many more, which gave me a broad insight into adult social care. Being able to use the statistical skills I have gained in my course to help improve services in a real life context was great and rewarding too.
Also, it was nice to get paid during the internship so I could support myself.

What I like least

I really was treated extremely well during the placement, but if I had to say something I disliked, it would be that it was hard to arrange meetings with people to get information I needed to analyse. I think this is typical of most organisations though, as everyone is so busy!

What surprised me most

The job wasn't just number crunching, I got to know people who were subject to the adult social care system - I didn't realise how attached I would become to some of the residents I had to interview and get to know. The stories they told me touched my heart, and I will continue to visit them and send them letters.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Emmah Fahad’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Emmah Fahad a message to find out more about their career journey.

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