January 19, 2021, by Rosie Pinder
Look No Further for Work Experience: Writing Opportunities at UoN
By Rosie Pinder, BA English second year
It is hard to find work experience at the best of times. But, as with practically everything, the Covid-19 pandemic has made the situation worse. Some placements were lost to the pandemic last year, bu it’s a bit too early to say what will happen this summer. Yet, as I’ve discovered, there are still loads of great opportunities to get experience within the University of Nottingham itself…
Although I am still not 100% sure about my career path, I have always known that I want to write in some form. As a result, finding writing experience alongside my course is essential. Although, written communication skills are really important to develop for most industries and roles.
Below I have compiled a guide of ways to get writing experience while at the University of Nottingham (global pandemic optional!):
Write for Impact Magazine
One of the best places to get writing experience is to be involved in the University’s student-run magazine: Impact. In fact, many of the speakers who took part in the recent Spotlight On: Publishing event and Impact Media Conference specifically noted that this was a great way to gain valuable experience.
I’ve written two articles this term. As well as enjoying the process, this has really helped me to develop my writing style. If you are only writing as part of your degree, the focus is academic. This is a very specific style that can often be quite lengthy and hard to understand. So, branching out with an interesting article is a great way to diversify your writing skills!
To write for Impact, follow the steps below…
- Buy your membership for the year via the Students Union’s website, this is a one-off payment of £5.
- Join the main Impact Facebook group and also the sub-group for the section that interests you. This could be news, lifestyle, features, entertainment or reviews.
- Check back in each week when article ideas are posted on the Facebook groups.
- Comment below the post to claim an article.
- Write it!
- Email the post to the editorial team.
Within a few days your article will be on the Impact website or proudly displayed in print.
Additionally, if you enjoy being involved in Impact there are many editorial and committee roles that you can go for each year!
And if journalism is your main area of interest, there are other student run media groups to get involved in, including NSTV and URN. I also recently discovered the Nottingham chapter of HerCampus which periodically takes pitches for writers.
Become a Student Blogger
Another great way to get writing experience within the University is through writing blog posts for the website.
Last year I signed up to Unitemps and during the summer I received an email advertising the position of student blogger for the Careers and Employability Service. Roughly every month I write a post about my career journey! A post much like this one. In fact, exactly like this one…
Not only is this position ideal for getting writing experience, it has also helped me to develop some valuable digital skills such as learning how to use WordPress.
This year’s bloggers study a range of subjects including economics, engineering, modern languages and nutrition.
I would really recommend keeping an eye out on Unitemps for roles like this one in the future!
Volunteering and Placements Run by Your School of Study
Finally, I’d like to draw your attention to work experience placements that are available via your school of study.
I can only speak from the perspective of the School of English, but all subjects have a similar service. You can join a Moodle page offering various volunteering and placements throughout the year.
For example, I have just begun to work on a group project that involves making a magazine for residents in a Nottingham care home. This is a fantastic opportunity as I am involved in the entire process of constructing a magazine, as well as learning how to effectively write for those with dementia.
These are just three ways which I can personally recommend to get writing experience at the University of Nottingham. However, there are many more opportunities available. Writing publicity for a student society, for example, or producing a play script for The Nottingham New Theatre. Whatever it is, engaging in any project that develops your writing skills is invaluable.
Work experience can come in any form – explore our webpage What can I do? for different types of experiences including virtual internships. Also check out the opportunities through us on our page, What’s on offer at Nottingham?
If you have any questions about work experience, please have a chat with a member of our team. All appointments are online through Teams.
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