As a postgraduate student at the university, I was looking for a job related to my field. Since I was an international student, it wasn’t possible to move out of Aberystwyth whilst I was enrolled. Nonetheless, I was determined to find a way to gain some valuable experience.
I enrolled in the MSc Computer Science course in 2021 on a student visa. After the orientation, I was told by the supervisor that my attendance needs monitoring as per the visa conditions. So, I could not leave Aberystwyth even during the summer to work as an intern out of Aber. Naturally, I felt a little disheartened. After a month of classes being resumed, I received an email from AberCareers which contained a registration form for AberForward. I did not quite understand what it was, but I registered. A week later, my registration was successful.
Following this was another email, containing a list of internships which were being offered by the University. I was pleasantly shocked! In the list, there was an internship from the Computer Science department. I applied for it. Simultaneously, I got my right to work checked at the HR department. Within 2 weeks, I received an email from the job supervisor asking me for a chat.
The interview went well, and I was informed that the project was in collaboration with the NHS. I got my placement during the winter break, and this helped me gain so much insight into how professional the work environment is in this country. Because it was a remote job, I could work in my own time. The whole team was extremely supportive and cleared my doubts. Best of all, the job was paid!
Then, in the April of the following year, I received another email from AberCareers, announcing another spell of AberForward internships. As I had already experienced it, I was more confident this time. Also, there were a greater number of internships for the summer. I applied to all which aligned with my qualifications.
I was called to the Sports Centre where I interviewed for a position maintaining the Sports Centre website. It was a two-month long internship, working on site. On my first day, I was so surprised to be given my own office room! It was cosy and had a view overlooking the athletic field. I chose to work eight hours for two days, and four hours on a third day. My supervisors were super helpful and accommodating. I learnt a lot about Computer Science while working there. Also, I cannot overlook the financial aspect, as a paid job really helped me as a student.
To conclude, I would recommend all the AberForward scheme to all students at Aberystwyth University. It’s a great way to gain experience and a steady income whilst being in Aberystwyth, especially for those who must stay in town for the holidays.