Change 100 showed me what I can bring to a job
Sophie
Sophie was one of our Change 100 interns in 2022. She tells us about her experience interning at the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
My name is Sophie, and my Change 100 Internship was with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which distributes grants to projects that sustain and transform the UK’s heritage. My role was on the engagement team.
Overcoming my nerves
I had a late diagnosis of dyslexia and was only diagnosed during my second year of university. Because of this, I have been unaware of the types of adjustments I could have been offered and the skills and strengths that come with having dyslexia.
This has left me lacking confidence in my abilities in the workplace. However, during my internship, I was able to work independently and discover and build on my strengths. By receiving regular feedback and appreciation from my line manager and team, I found a newfound confidence.
Mentoring
As well as my line manager, I met regularly with my mentor throughout my internship. These meetings were a very supportive space where I was able to get advice and support and ask questions on anything I wanted. I had the opportunity to choose the focus of each session, which meant it was tailored to my needs, and I could make the most of them.
The relationship with my mentor was extremely positive and empowering. I hugely benefited from having frequent sessions. They were a great way of checking in with my progress and being able to celebrate it, which was encouraging.
The relationship with my mentor was extremely positive and empowering. I hugely benefited from having frequent sessions. They were a great way of checking in with my progress and being able to celebrate it, which was encouraging.
Speak up, speak out
One of the initial challenges was around speaking up and asking for help. Especially during the first half of the placement, I held back a lot. I was able to overcome this with the help and support of my mentor and team.
Looking to the future
I learnt a lot during my internship, the main things being what my strengths are and what I can bring to a job. Before applying for the Change 100 programme, I had never known that asking for adjustments in a job or even during interviews or assessments was something that I could do. The process helped me think about how I could perform my best in an assessment.
After the internship, I was able to understand what worked best for me and encouraged me to think about what I could ask for in future interviews and assessments that would help me perform my best.
Overall, it was a hugely positive experience.
