Internships
Interns play a vital role here at Mast Cell Action. They allow us to realise our goals while allowing people to give back to the community or develop skills that will help them gain opportunities along their chosen career path. Their flexible nature allows people to contribute greatly around their work life and studies.
Our internship program has been designed to allow you to build skills within your chosen area whilst supporting the delivery of projects and services to the MCAS community. Many of our interns have studied or are studying specific courses and need practical experience to demonstrate their skills or to build a portfolio of work. Each internship is unique and successful candidates will be supported throughout their time with Mast Cell Action in order to make the most of the opportunity.
Our most successful interns are those who appreciate the time commitment which is agreed at the outset of their internship and are prepared to engage with the team on a regular basis and have a clear understanding of the expectations of the role. Although our internships are voluntary, they are very popular and you will navigate the interview processes commonly associated with paid roles. This will include interviews and you may be required to demonstrate practical skills by sharing a portfolio or undertaking a specific task.
For a current list of open internships or further information, please contact claire@mastcellaction.org.
Meet some of our fantastic interns below:
Abbie has done some wonderful work with us so she opened up about what led her to join Mast Cell Action, and how she found life working with us.
Why did you decide to take an internship at Mast Cell Action?
I learned about MCAS when I met my partner’s mum, who suffers with the condition. I found it to be a really intriguing and interesting condition and wanted to know more about it, so I found Mast Cell Action when I was doing some research to learn more about MCAS. In summer 2021 I wanted to volunteer with a charity that worked with something I really cared about, and reached out to Mast Cell Action to ask if there were any volunteering opportunities. I was invited to look at an intern role that had just been released; the internship sounded exactly like what I was looking for.
I was really eager to meet more people who want to spread awareness and understanding of MCAS, as well as work on projects that would be seen and recognised by doctors and healthcare professionals that could help get MCAS better understood and researched. Another reason why I decided to take an internship with MCA was because I wanted to work with people helping patients directly, via the social media platforms and patient stories.
What has been beneficial about your internship with Mast Cell Action?
Through this internship with MCA I have become much more confident in my abilities to liaise between professionals, patients, and the general public. I have learned a lot about leading projects, as well as working with teams of people to keep multiple projects running and get them delivered on time. These are skills that are massively beneficial to me in my studies and will really help me with any job role. This internship has also taught me how to be more creative in my approach to solving problems; I feel much more able to handle difficult tasks. Being able to work with so many different people has helped grow my confidence as well; without my internship with MCA I never would have been able to meet Dr Myers and have the chance to work with her and Soumya on an academic paper.
What have you found most valuable about your time as an intern for Mast Cell Action?
The amount of new skills I have learned, and the amount I have been able to develop skills I had beforehand. Without this internship I wouldn’t be as confident in my own abilities as I am now; I have always dealt with imposter syndrome and felt like I wasn’t good enough. With this internship I have learned that doing my best is more than enough.
What has been the most interesting task or projects(s) you have worked on during your internship?
The most interesting project has been the patient stories. I have been able to talk to so many people about their experiences and the experiences of their children with MCAS. I have learned about things like content creation and website design, when putting the stories together to be published online. I’ve been able to work with other interns and use the patient stories to highlight MCAS and bring more attention to it.
Would you recommend Mast Cell Action as a good organisation for internships?
I would absolutely recommend Mast Cell Action as an amazing organisation for internships.
Did you feel that your work as an intern was appreciated? Did it make a difference?
I always felt that my work and time was appreciated – everybody is very kind and gracious to interns for their work. I know that my work has helped make a difference, because I have seen the direct positive impact it has had on patients as well as the general public.
Why did you decide to take an internship at Mast Cell Action?
I undertook a course in Digital Marketing during lockdown and saw that Mast Cell Action were recruiting an intern so I saw it as a great opportunity to gain some experience in the field while helping a great cause.
What has been beneficial about your internship with Mast Cell Action?
I have been able to learn about a number of different online tools that are used to update the organisations’ website and create content for both the website as well as our social media channels.
What have you found most valuable about your time as an intern for Mast Cell Action?
Aside from what I’ve covered in my role so far, I am constantly learning about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I wasn’t previously aware of the condition so it has definitely been an eye-opening experience. Seeing how few resources are available to people living with the condition makes you appreciate the work being done.
What has been the most interesting task or projects(s) you have worked on during your internship?
So far, I’m enjoying seeing the different fundraising efforts from people all over the UK. Seeing pictures from all sorts of events shows that people respond really well to the work being done by Mast Cell Action and want to help others in the community too.
Would you recommend Mast Cell Action as a good organisation for internships?
Absolutely. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. The benefit of working in a small team is that everyone gets an opportunity to contribute and to learn from more experienced members of the organisation. Sometimes in larger groups, a select few people tend to dominate proceedings and others don’t gain anything from that.
Did you feel that your work as an intern was appreciated? Did it make a difference?
Definitely. Your time is really appreciated and it’s great to see positive feedback coming in from the people who Mast Cell Action have worked with.
Is there anything else you would like to share with Mast Cell Action or other future potential interns?
There are so many aspects to the organisation that you can help with no matter what your area of interest is in. If you have time to spare and you want to contribute to a great cause I would recommend getting in touch.
Why did you decide to take an internship at Mast Cell Action?
When searching for an internship role in the field of marketing and communications, I came across Mast Cell Actions internship roles. I decided to take an internship with Mast Cell Action as I was looking to gain valuable skills and experiences in the field of social media marketing and communication.
What has been beneficial about your internship with Mast Cell Action?
I have benefited greatly by taking on this internship role as I have been exposed to many different areas of marketing and communications.
I have gained the skills of creating graphics and content for all social media platforms. Having regular meetings with my line manager Joy Mason, has helped me with my development in this field and given me the confidence on taking on new challenges.
What have you found most valuable about your time as an intern for Mast Cell Action?
The most valuable thing I found whilst working as an intern, is learning to use new tools and resources which are used in today’s time in the marketing and communications field. Having regular one-to-one meetings/trainings with Joy Mason, helped me to gain new skills and experience’s which are valuable for my development.
What has been the most interesting task or projects(s) you have worked on during your internship?
When Joy first set me a challenge to create a podcast for Mast Cell Action, at first I did not know where to begin. After hours of research in this area, I finally was on my way. This was a project which I found interesting and helpful as I learned new skills. The further I dived into this area, the more engaged and motivated I felt to create /design a podcast channel for Mast Cell Action.
Would you recommend Mast Cell Action as a good organisation for internships?
I would recommend Mast Cell Action as a good organisation for internships. They provide various intern roles. They provide regular training and meetings to all interns as this helps individuals to gain valuable experience which will benefit them greatly in their career.
Did you feel that your work as an intern was appreciated? Did it make a difference?
The work which I carried out as an intern, has helped Mast Cell Action to develop in key areas such as developing and establishing a podcast channel for the organisation. I felt appreciated whilst working as an intern as I always had the correct level of support along the way.
Is there anything else you would like to share with Mast Cell Action or other future potential interns?
Mast Cell Action is not only an organisation where you can develop as an intern in your desired field, at the same time you will be helping the organisation with their mission and helping the Mast Cell Action community.
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