A Reflection of my Internship Time at Public Policy| Southampton
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The internship provided instrumental insight into a possible career in public policy. Moreover, it offered various opportunities to participate in a variety of tasks and enhanced my understanding of the United Kingdom’s political system and current affairs. As a student currently completing a law degree, I was able to use my knowledge of parliamentary proceedings when critically analyzing parliamentary debates and Hansards. This allowed me to deepen my understanding of academics influence on policy makers and future legislation.
I was immersed in the University of Southampton’s academic research world. I was able to collate research information and reinterpret it for a broader audience's appeal, through various communication channels. My understanding of issues our community is currently facing was greatly enhanced by evidence based policy briefs published by the department. Through my participation and involvement in various training seminars, I learned ways to engage policy makers, communicate research effectively, and run events in a successful manner.
Public Policy|Southampton team is driven, collaborative and visionary. They helped integrate me into the team and facilitated my learning process through their upbeat and positive environment. Moreover, the department is probably one of the most unique departments at the University of Southampton due to their outlook on technology. The team realizes the popularity of social media and the impact it has on society. Throughout my internship, I was able to facilitate and enhance social media presence whilst promoting various unique research opportunities. Social media is the tool of the present and future: to connect researchers to policy makers. Public Policy is one of the unique departments that harnesses social media platforms to influence legislation and enhance policy connections.
In closing, the past 6 months at Public Policy| Southampton have allowed me to enhance my communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills whilst developing new skills in the policy world. I encourage anyone interested in a future career in civil service, public policy or governmental affairs to apply to this internship. It is overall an invaluable experience.
By:
Gabriella Schneider
BSc. University of Western Ontario
JD/LLB 2019 Candidate at University of Southampton