A micro-internship at TORCH
I was very happy to be offered a Web Accessibility and Content micro-internship at TORCH, and thought I'd more or less spend the week helping to improve the website. I did do a fair amount of that, working on tasks throughout the week such as fixing broken links, removing spelling errors, and generally keeping the website up to date.
But the internship also had a lot more to offer that I hadn't expected. For example, I worked on editing YouTube transcriptions of TORCH's Book at Lunchtime series. Getting to watch really engaging talks by academics which I wouldn't otherwise have come across was a very enjoyable way to spend part of my week, as well as getting to help with the accessibility side of the project. I especially enjoyed watching a talk on “The Perils of Interpreting”, a book about the history of Anglo-Chinese interpreters by Henrietta Harrison. Becoming really absorbed in subjects so far outside my degree is something that I wouldn't always do, or even have time for, so it was really great to do it as part of my internship.
My favourite part of the internship was completing proofreading work on TORCH's Annual Review. Prior to the start of the internship, I was asked if there was anything I particularly wanted to get out of it; I expressed an enthusiasm for proofreading and was given proofreading work to do! Throughout the internship I felt that my interests were really encouraged; I also liked having a wide variety of tasks and the freedom to choose between them each day.
Everyone at TORCH was so kind and supportive throughout my internship. I had meetings each day with members of the team, so that I could learn more about all the different projects they run, as well as opportunities to shadow in meetings. I was given a lot of great careers advice and insights into the wide range of directions in which a Humanities degree can lead you- it isn't just academia or teaching.
I really enjoyed my micro-internship with TORCH and found it to be a very valuable experience!
Esme (English Language and Literature)
