Internships at Pointer
At Pointer, we value the fresh perspectives and the positive attitudes of the students that we host through internships bring. Consultancy is an industry that typically presents many unknowns to young people. Our recent intern Keira has written a blog about her experience to help demystify what interning for a small consultancy actually involves. Read about a typical day at Pointer for Keira below.
A Day in the Life of Keira
I’m Keira, a recent Geography graduate from the University of Bristol with a passion for sustainability. Whilst I knew sustainability was the industry I wanted to go into, I had no idea what that would look like or how to make it possible.
That’s when I came across Pointer at the Festival of Sustainable Business event in Bristol, last year. At the event, I had the opportunity to speak with Becca and Ben, who were incredibly welcoming. I was really impressed by how approachable and hands-on the team at Pointer was. Their willingness to take the time to speak with me made it clear that this was a company that values people and is committed to making a positive impact. That experience confirmed my interest in becoming an intern at Pointer.
I know how daunting it can feel stepping into the world of work for the first time so, I hope that this is blog post gives future interns an insight into a day-in-the-life, propelling them to make that first step for their career - whether that is going to a networking event, or grabbing a coffee with someone you think is interesting.
Morning
A typical day starts with a walk along the harbour to Desklodge where I’ll usually grab a coffee downstairs before heading into the office. At 9 am each Monday, we have a weekly meeting where
everyone will run through their tasks or goals for the upcoming week. I’ve found this is a great way to set the tone for the day and hear about any interesting projects the team are working on. If there’s something mentioned that I’d like to know more about, the team are always willing to schedule in
a meeting to go over the topic in more detail or, even engaging me in the project if possible.
Soon after, I’ll get started on my own tasks which currently involves developing a Social Value decision tool and updating relevant company artefacts. It’s been really interesting learning about the Social Value Model and what goes into making corporate decisions. I’ll regularly have check-ins with Lucy and Emma who are supporting me with the project and are always happy to answer any questions I
have.
Around mid-morning is when I’ll start having meetings. This often includes 101 training sessions with
different members of the team and are designed to teach me more about different aspects of the company, whether that is Pointer's services, or general business topics. I particularly enjoyed the Project Management 101 with Emma, and Finance 101 with Richard, as I didn’t know anything about these topics prior to my internship so found these sessions very insightful.
Lunch
Something I quickly learnt at Pointer is that food is a big deal! That means lunch is taken very seriously
and at exactly 12:00 PM everyone is keen to eat. Most of us bring food from home and then we’ll sit together around the table in the kitchen. This has been a really nice way to get to know everyone a bit better, we’ll often chat about fun things we got up to at the weekend, which usually ends up in more food talk and sharing restaurant recommendations!
We’ll also go for a quick walk around Queen’s Square, which has been a nice way to make the most of the sun recently and reset before the afternoon.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, in between any meetings, I like to spend some time on my sprint tasks. These are
tasks allocated for us across either a 2-week or 4-week schedule for business improvement, and marketing. I’ve appreciated the fact Lucy and Becca have tailored my sprint tasks around my interest in sustainability. For example, I got to review Ben’s work on the Sustainability Service Deck and help Lucy with some market research on Life Cycle Assessment software tools.
Just before 5pm, I’ll plan out a to-do list for the next day and leave the office feeling accomplished
with a productive day’s work.
Reflections
Overall, I’ve found my time here at Pointer incredibly valuable. I feel as though I’ve gained much deeper insight into what goes into running a business; from knowledge of how to organise multiple projects, managing team progress or, more generally how consultancies operate.
Looking back across this month, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here at Pointer and have learnt a lot, even across such a short space of time. I’m incredibly appreciative of how encouraging and welcoming everyone has been. There’s always a very positive and uplifting energy within the office, with individual successes constantly being recognised or, otherwise supported if help is needed. It has truly been a great atmosphere to be part of!
Advice for Future Interns
My biggest piece of advice to future interns, would be to be pro-active and make the most of your experience. It can be daunting to put yourself out there and make the first step but, once
you do, you’ll open the door to many more exciting opportunities.
This has been an amazing environment to learn and develop new skills as an intern, I’ll definitely leave
this experience feeling confident and excited about my future career!
Interested in learning more about our the Pointer pack? Read more about our team here, and follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated on upcoming opportunities.