The Micro-Internship Experience

Oxford student Chak Yim completed a research and insight micro-internship with the Listen and Learn Research in Hilary 2025

What project did you work on during your micro-internship? 

During my time with Listen & Learn Research, I helped undertake qualitative market research for a research project.  I carried thematic analysis on conversational data drawn from a variety of online social media platforms (e.g. Reddit, Instagram, Twitter comments/posts); this coding process involved identifying common themes and categorizing the qualitative data based on these themes. 

I also performed further analysis based on my findings, finding and noting details like how comments referring to different stages of the consumer process (e.g. purchase intent versus service usage) were much more densely found in certain social media platforms.  Finally, I made hypotheses for why the data emerged the way it did, identified the most common themes/problems, and shared possible solutions for combatting some of these identified problems. 

What are the lasting impressions of your micro-internship?

I found this micro-internship to be an amazing and insightful opportunity that has exposed me to more real-world work experience.  This has allowed me to both hone my professional skills (e.g. communication) and practice work and research outside of academia. 

Listen & Learn Research’s emphasis on qualitative data has also given me a rare opportunity to carry qualitative research and thereby broaden my research skills, as I feel most research opportunities I come across focus mainly on quantitative research.  The method by which they carried out thematic analysis was also experimental and somewhat different from what I’d learned about thematic analysis – this has given me insight towards how research can be carried out creatively and differently. 

Perhaps most valuably, I’m happy to have had the chance to talk to different members of the Listen & Learn Research team, asking for their advice and experiences both within and beyond the scope of the micro-internship (e.g. asking the founder on his experiences related to building the company).  The team has been very helpful and approachable, encouraging me to ask questions where I needed and checking in with me throughout the micro-internship.  

What advice would you give to future micro-interns?

Apply anyways – even if you don’t think your application will be accepted, or that you aren’t qualified or won’t do a good job, or that none of the opportunities are “relevant enough” to your future career prospects.  Beyond decorating your resume, micro-internships are an amazing, time-efficient opportunity to practice applying for roles, hone professional skills, and gain insight towards what you want and don’t want in your future career. 

If you do get accepted, take the opportunity to be curious and ask questions – both in how you can work more effectively for the internship, and in what advice/experiences your supervisor may have in career navigation. 

Oxford student Finley Longshaw undertook his internship with Clasado Biosciences in Trinity 2025

What project did you work on during your micro-internship? 

During my week-long virtual internship, my main project was to research the regulations on probiotics and prebiotics for my assigned country. This project enabled Clasado to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements when selling their products here – whether this was to update them on any changes that had occurred in a country they currently market to or what they would to do to reach into this market. My work therefore involved searching for, identifying and summarising  the significant regulations on: what ingredients could be used in prebiotics and probiotics; how the labels of these products must be set out and what information must be included; whether there were any authorised health claims to be made of prebiotics and probiotics; and other relevant information. This task allowed me to develop my research skills, my ability to scan lots of information and accurately summarise the relevant points and my presentation skills, as I presented my findings to a group at the conclusion of the week. 

Outside of this main project, I completed some tasks relating to trademark protection, which involved collecting examples of the use of Clasado’s Bimuno trademark in different jurisdictions. This was so the company had examples to defend their trademark in the event that they needed to litigate for infringement. I additionally completed some horizon scanning tasks, which involved looking for updates on potential upcoming changes to regulations that had been tabled by legislatures.  

What are the lasting impressions of your micro-internship?

I found the experience very useful in developing my skills and giving me practical legal experience to put on my CV. I gained an insight into how in-house legal teams operate, and developed my commercial awareness of the legal risks that businesses face and the nature of the work that goes into minimising them. This will invaluable to me in pursuing my aspirations of a legal career. 

The experience has given me confidence in my ability to perform competently in a professional legal environment as opposed to a merely academic one. It has further given me the insight that I find the legal issues surrounding risks in business particularly interesting and enabled me to be able to articulate why, which will enhance my future applications. 

Therefore, my overall lasting impression was that the micro-internship was a fulfilling and very useful experience. 

What advice would you give to future micro-interns? 

1. Try to work out if you enjoy the work. It is very likely that at points during your internship you will be bored or frustrated with the work. This is your opportunity to reflect on whether this is because you are fundamentally uninterested in the nature of the work, or whether you simply need to rethink your approach to it. If you conclude the former, then you have learned something useful – its not a bad thing to rule out a career path after an internship! If, on the other hand, you truly believe that you are genuinely interested in the nature of the work, reflect on how you could articulate this in an interview or on an application. 

2.  Make a good impression! This is your opportunity to practice for making a good impression when you start on your career path properly. Dress up, not down. Smile. Ask how other people’s days are going. Ask interesting and inquisitive questions to demonstrate a genuine interest. It might directly open a door for your own career later down the line with the company you intern for, but cultivating these habits will definitely help you in interviews and when you land a graduate job. 

Oxford student Juliana Pamiloza completed a Children's Educational Audio Stories: Research & Story Development internship with Oxford Moon in Trinity 2025

What project did you work on during your micro-internship? 

My micro-internship week involved working with Oxford Moon, a children’s audiobook company. They focus on making English language learning both informative and enjoyable. 

On the first day, we were given a thorough induction and friendly welcome on Teams. The host organisation gave us a list of documents on story plots and character traits, elaborating on how this would help with our task.  

I appreciated the warm welcome and clear communication from the outset. Our mentor set up a group chat so that we were in constant communication and could reach out whenever we needed support. 

The rest of the week involved writing a story of 3000-4500 words to add to the adventure series the organisation had been working on. The stories were to be used as audiobooks for children who are learning English. This presented a novel opportunity for me to write creatively in the context of sound, pace and rhythm.  

As the stories are set in different places and periods of history, I conducted independent research in order to capture the cross-cultural values the organisation valued in each story. My story was set in 11th Century CE Ancient Africa, specifically in Zimbabwe. The aim of the story was to highlight how advanced Ancient African medicine was because of herbology. It was titled The Song of the Baobab Tree. Using a balance of research and creative skills, I delved into the captivating world of audiobooks. 

I followed the routine of a 9-5 office job to keep me disciplined and motivated, but made sure I took lunch breaks. I set up my desk in a way that was clean and not distracting. Outside of work, I enjoyed walks by my home to relax and get in the right mindset for the next day. 

I was proud of myself for writing a story of over 4000 words as that was something that overwhelmed me first. However, I found that story writing was a great fit for me and kept the task engaging. 

I was not only able to build on the work experiences I have already, but also learnt how to write for a younger audience. I challenged myself to make my writing clear and engaging, facilitating effective English language learning in these stories. This made the experience all the more enjoyable! 

What are the lasting impressions of your micro-internship?

I am grateful to have done the Micro-Internship Programme as it offers the chance to have an internship with an achievable time frame to commit to, all while having the enriching benefits of a long-term internship.  

The most valuable skill I learnt during the micro-internship was how to nail the speed and emphasis with which an audiobook story is read. This was especially important for a series catered for children learning English, which made me consider how to balance language learning with engaging and educational stories.  

I also value how I refined my character-building and plot-writing throughout this experience, both of which are crucial to having a coherent and compelling story. I feel that I have significantly contributed to a wonderful opportunity that seeks to enrich children’s linguistic, critical and creative skills. These are all skills that I will continue to look for in a future job. 

The experience opened up my mind to job opportunities involving audiobooks. I have a new perspective on the different ways that stories are transmitted to the reader, specifically through sound. I therefore want to explore similar opportunities in the future, and hopefully with the same organisation. 

What advice would you give to future micro-interns? 

If you are doing a remote internship like I did, remember that even if you are physically apart from your mentor, they are always there to support you. Ask questions, clarify doubts and report back on your progress. Make the most out of their expertise!  

Writing a story was a refreshing opportunity to the essays you get accustomed to at university. I would recommend you to enjoy this novel opportunity by unleashing your creative side! This can involve brainstorming, story planning and keeping a track of character traits. For example, from the documents provided by our mentor, I kept a clear table of each characters’ likes and dislikes. 

Not having a dedicated workspace may present challenges to feeling motivated and productive. Find a suitable workplace for your needs, prioritising a space that keeps you focused, driven and comfortable.  

For me, this meant clearing up my bedroom desk and making it feel cosy. This ensured I had separate spaces for work and rest, increasing my output and allowing for work-life balance during the experience. 

In short, take advantage of this opportunity by having fun with your ideas, communicating with your team and keeping the organisation’s aims at the heart of your work. 

Oxford student Eunju Choe completed a Qualitative Research Assistant Internship for Oxford University Careers Service in Hilary 2025

What project did you work on during your micro-internship? 

In this micro-internship, I completed a research and strategy project to enhance the career guidance of international students at Oxford University. The primary work assigned to me was to review and critique the current career materials offered by the University Careers Service—precisely visa advice, cultural orientation, and networking. This involved reading internal materials, benchmarking best practice from other universities, and consolidating research into the problems faced by international students in finding a job within the UK economy. Towards the end of the internship, my co-intern and I consolidated our findings and presented them as a formal report to the team. 

What are the lasting impressions of your micro-internship? 

The internship impacted me in a number of ways. It started by showing how meticulous, backroom examination can result in tangible, student-progress results. It instructed me to assess the challenges international students experience—not only on legal or practical terms, but culturally and emotionally. The team advisor’s openness to hearing criticism, allowing for questioning existing frameworks, and taking pragmatic recommendations made me feel like my work actually mattered. I also liked how independent the internship was; I was entrusted to take the initiative and dig deep into subjects that overlapped with the project goals as well as my own research targets. 

One of the biggest things for me was being able to be a part of work that could possibly directly affect students like me. Having worked and studied in several different countries, I was able to relate to my own experiences as I plugged in the gaps that I discovered. It was personal, and this made me feel extremely motivated and the work more rewarding. 

What advice would you give to future micro-interns? 

To potential micro-interns, I would advise: don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions upfront, especially if your project is open-ended in nature. Own the development of your research process and take advantage of the autonomy given to you. Also, be considerate about the structuring of your time—given that it's a short week, a clear daily routine will prevent you from being overwhelmed. Lastly, don't forget that your new point of view is a strength. Even as a non-specialist in the area, your personal experience and observations—especially if you belong to the group in question—can provide depth and validity to the research!  

Oxford student Alice Rubli completed a Museum Blogger micro-internship in Trinity 2025 with Abingdon County Hall Museum

What project did you work on during your micro-internship? 

During my micro-internship with Abingdon County Hall Museum, I conducted research on an aspect of Abingdon’s local history to produce a blog post for the museum’s blog. I had the creative freedom to choose the topic of my blog post and I decided to research the history of morris dancing as a historical tradition which is still relevant to the residents of Abingdon today. As a remote micro-internship, I spent the week using online research materials to discover the history of morris dancing in Abingdon and finding out about historical figures important to the survival of morris dancing through difficult periods. I had an online meeting with my supervisor to discuss my ideas and structure of the week. I kept in regular contact with her throughout the micro-internship to discuss progress and the use of photographs of museum objects to be used in my blog post. 

What are the lasting impressions of your micro-internship? 

I really enjoyed working on this project as it gave me an interesting insight into working for a museum. As well as improving my writing skills for a non-academic readership, I was able to get a taste of what it is like to work in the museum sector; using images of objects from the museum store that I would not otherwise have had access to was really interesting. It allowed me to create a more engaging blog post with photos of morris dancing outfits and accessories. I found it rewarding to research a topic with local interest as I researched Abingdon’s local traditions relevant to morris dancing. I felt more confident in my writing ability by the end of this micro-internship and I am glad I was able to experience working in the museum sector during this week.

What advice would you give to future micro-interns? 

I would advise future interns to apply for a micro-internship even if you’re not sure you’re interested in that sector; it is a great opportunity to see if you are interested in a particular sector because it can act as a short introduction that allows you to either pursue it further or rule it out. Also, even if you decide it is not something you want to commit to in the future, it can give you really valuable experience and skills. Often, micro-internship supervisors offer you optional projects during the week and these can be really useful. These projects allow you to explore other aspects of the project and role you are carrying out and can help you to develop your interests and get more experience during the week; although short, you can still accomplish a lot in a micro-internship.

Oxford student Ruya Abdulsalam completed a Legal Micro-Internship with Clasado Biosciences in Michaelmas 2024

The project you worked on during your micro-internship

During my week-long legal internship with Clasado Biosciences, I gained experience in in-house legal practice by conducting research, summarising relevant case law, and assisting with legal matters across multiple jurisdictions. As part of the programme, I also participated in meetings with various departments within the company to gain insight into how their work interconnects and supports overall business operations. I was one of four Oxford students who were also on the same micro-internship, and we worked independently on some tasks or in pairs or as a group on other tasks. There were also opportunities to pick up ad-hoc tasks as they came up if we had some extra time.

Your lasting impressions of the micro-internship

My internship was a really great experience. Not only did I learn so much in a relatively short period of time, but I also felt genuinely integrated into the team at Clasado. The tasks we were given were thoughtfully structured and offered exposure to a variety of work an in-house lawyer might encounter. There was a perfect balance of independence and support — we were encouraged to approach tasks on our own, but the team was always happy to help or arrange extra meetings if we needed guidance. I felt part of the team throughout, and meeting people from other departments helped me feel connected to the wider company. I’m really grateful for such a positive and enriching experience.

Any advice you would give to future micro-interns

I’d say first and foremost, just get stuck in! Even if a task feels a bit daunting at first or you think you’re moving slowly, start somewhere — once you begin, everything else falls into place. Although the internship is only a week long, there’s so much you can gain from it. If you stay curious, proactive, and enthusiastic, you can build really valuable skills and even form lasting professional relationships along the way.

Kledion Shahini; Anna Todsen; Hope Steadman; Christine Waddell, Ines Momodu-Herrero; and Alexander Mohar Csaky 

GCHU Interns

Student blogs and became the basis for the annual Building a Legacy conference hosted by the Prince’s Foundation. Read their Planning with Nature report.

Hope Steadman

GCHU Intern and MSc Nature, Society and Environmental Governance student, University of Oxford.

Read the article on The economic impacts of green and blue infrastructure: a long-term view