EM ADVISORS

RUSSIA

EM ADVISORS

Annie Mia Sheriff, University College, First Year Undergraduate, BA in Russian, Remote working

Work Projects

I had a variety of tasks to complete during my

remote summer internship. As the internship

was online, the company had an online

platform which was used to message interns

with tasks to do on a regular basis. Everyone

was very friendly and explained all the tasks in detail and were available to answer any

questions I had throughout completing the tasks. As well as this, I also had a mentor and we

had a zoom call each week where we discussed the work I had done and any questions I had

beyond the tasks I was doing (for example, more information about the company, future

work I could get involved in, and how I was finding the workload). I found this discussion

really useful especially as the internship was remote and the company I was working for was

abroad. This is because these calls allowed me to feel more connected on a personal level to

the company.

My main work included research tasks, media monitoring, translations and more occasionally writing press releases / contributing to articles. In terms of my main

achievements, I think I adapted well to the kind of tasks that I had to do for this internship.

As there were lots of different things to do in, sometimes, short periods of time, I think I

became more efficient at completing tasks, especially research related tasks, using

platforms and news websites that I had not used before. I also am proud to have had

experience of successfully working for a Russian company, especially as a lot of the work

was in Russian and, although my degree is Russian, I am not a fluent speaker yet.

Daily Life

My internship was remote. I started work at around 8am each day and finished at around

5pm with a lunch break in the middle. For me, there was no day that was the same as the

other in terms of the tasks I was doing. This is because my work schedule depended on the

business needs each day. Sometimes I was given tasks that I needed to do over the course of a couple of weeks / months (eg a daily or weekly media monitoring), but more often I

would complete research, translation, press release and other writing relating tasks

whenever anyone in the company requested.

I got into a good routine and I liked starting earlier as it meant I had more time in the afternoon / evening to relax and wind down. I tried to stick to my work hours as much as I

could but sometimes tasks would have a greater urgency and I would work later in the evenings / or weekends too. I also had a couple of video calls in the week, one with the

London office of the company, and one with my mentor, which helped to make me feel

more connected to the company.

Lasting Impressions

I really enjoyed my internship experience, and I am

so glad I applied. I am really interested in exploring

this career path more. I really liked the work I was

doing and, even though the internship was

remote, the atmosphere of the company seemed

to be very friendly and welcoming which I really liked too. I also feel like I gained so much

from this internship, not only in terms of experience working with a consultancy, but also

working for a company abroad, which I had not done before. I feel like this will be so useful

for me going forward, especially as I am a languages student and I will be considering

options for my year abroad very soon.

What practical advice would you give to future interns?

I think it is important to apply if there is something you are interested in. I understand that it

is very competitive, and I am aware that I had a slight advantage in some respects as I have

worked before coming to uni. I would recommend really looking at what the internship

expects from you and, when making your CV and personal statement, focus on tailoring it to

the needs of the internship. I would also recommend getting involved in some Micro-

internships, especially if you have not worked or had work experience before. Also, even if

you are in your first-year of studies, don't be put off from applying.