What happened when this recent graduate landed a role for a Swedish music industry startup on Start Me Up’s Remote Internship Program.
Like many recent graduates, Kim was unsure which direction to take her career. She loved illustration and had studied design but was unsure what kind of role she was looking for next.
“I’d always wanted to go traveling after university and I thought maybe I’d figure out my next move while overseas.”
Kim was due to spend eight months traveling through South America. Unfortunately, Covid-19 had other plans and four months into the trip she decided to head home after Sao Paulo, the Brazilian city she was in, went into lockdown.
“I actually got back to the UK after lockdown had started. As soon as I got home, I thought: what am I going to do now?”
Kim threw herself into job applications and landed a role as a fundraiser which she didn’t enjoy.
“Then I heard about Start Me Up. They helped me with my CV and fixed up a remote internship with a Swedish music industry startup.”
During her internship, Kim worked on developing brand templates, slide decks and designed app icons for a marketing campaign.
“It was my first time working for a startup and much more fun and creative than I was expecting.
Since doing Start Me Up, Kim’s landed a great job for an Edtech company as a designer.
“My advice would be to try different things out and don’t be disheartened if you find you don’t enjoy something. It’s helpful to know what doesn’t work for you, as well as what does.”
Top Tips
Don’t apply for just anything. Try to tailor applications. This can be boring but it’s better to apply for a few jobs carefully than for hundreds of jobs.
Get someone to look at your CV. Start Me Up audited my CV and identified ways I could be better displaying my achievements to date. A lot of people find writing their CV hard. It’s selling yourself and it’s not easy for most people (including me).
Support yourself with a paid part-time job and do part-time volunteering. Find brands and companies you like and offer to volunteer. This helps you build up your confidence and portfolio and can turn into a job.
Make connections. Approach organizations you like the look of. Stay in touch with the company after the internship, you never know where it might lead.