We caught up with Jamie Earl, a Senior Consultant in our R&D tax incentives team, to ask him about his internship with us and discover how he’s been able to use that experience to propel his career.
What did you study at university and what inspired your choice of course?
I studied chemistry. I’ve always enjoyed the sciences and understanding how the world works. Chemistry presented a good mix of medical and industrial applications, as well as playing to my academic strengths.
What was your plan for after you graduated?
My initial plan at university was to leave academia and get a job in an industry that I enjoyed. I didn’t have any more specific ideas than that!
What sparked your interest in an internship?
I knew I wanted a job outside of academia, but I had limited experience in the working world. Internships offered the perfect opportunity to get some exposure to employers, start building relationships and gain experience that allowed me to have a better understanding of what I might enjoy. (Also having some spare beer money was a nice bonus!)
Why Ayming?
Honestly, it was a very unusual job advert. There are very few white-collar professions where technical know-how can add real value. The more I read about the role, the more appealing it sounded. During the application and interview process, everyone I encountered was super friendly and answered any questions I had.
What was it like working as an intern within the team at Ayming?
Above all, there was great exposure to client work. There are plenty of stories about interns just making coffee and producing photocopies. Whilst I did make a lot of coffee, it was only because I drink so much myself! Like a full-time new joiner, I was paired with a buddy on day one and was instantly made to feel like one of the team. I was given a lot of responsibility and spent a fair amount of time working with the management team at the time, looking at new process ideas and how alternative service offerings could be made. One of my suggested initiatives is still in place today! I also had plenty of opportunities to get involved in the day-to-day. Interestingly, I’m still working with some of the same clients now.
How has your internship helped with your career?
The short answer would be “how hasn’t it”. With my internship, I had the opportunity to try out and get a feel for the job before signing up for anything. I was able to meet the team, and following on from a good experience, had a comfortable job to walk into after leaving university; which is a very fortunate position to be in.
Another benefit was that I had learned the “ins and outs” of the job a year before joining full time. My experience was then cemented in my mind during my final year of university. Following that, I was able to get a running start in my career and was in a great position to steer it on the trajectory that it eventually took.
What advice do you have for someone thinking of doing an internship?
Go for it! Take a look at what is available and don’t be too caught up with finding the perfect fit. Nothing else will give you a better insight into a business than working with them for part of your summer.
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