Thirty-six Leeds Arts University students and alumni recently completed a month long Digital Micro-Internship with Mindless Academy. Over the next few weeks some of them will share their experiences starting with BA (Hons) Creative Writing student Katie Mcilroy.
During the month I did the Mindless Academy internship I was asked to write an article each week for Mindless Mag. Each week I would find out the topic, choose an angle within that topic, plan, research and write a short article. I would also reflect on feedback given by the Mindless Editors, and make improvements. We also had the option to create TikToks to go with our articles, which encouraged me to make my first TikTok ever!
As the internship was fully online, I had flexibility to work towards my weekly deadlines when it suited me. This fit really well around my other commitments. My day to day schedule was really up to me! I prefer writing earlier in the day, so I was able to pick a day each week where I was free in order to make this work.
We also had access to videos about mindfulness and meditation each week. The ethos of Mindless Academy is really focused on important social issues, so it felt like a safe space to try out new ideas and share personal experiences in our writing.
I wrote my articles about the history of birth control, corporate responsibility for climate change, and how consumerism impacts artists. I also wrote an article for the charity Refugee Women Connect, highlighting theatre companies with the “Theatre of Sanctuary” status. My favourite part of the internship was seeing these articles get published on the Mindless Mag website. As a creative writing student, having my work shared to a wider audience is really important to me. The platform has allowed me to showcase my writing skills in a professional and accessible way.
After the month was finished, I was asked to work as an editor on the Mindless Academy team for the month of July. I couldn’t believe it at first! The work was definitely challenging and required a lot of organisation and problem solving skills on my part. It helped me improve my self-esteem with regards to employability and showed me that I am capable of more than I thought possible.
I have since been invited to continue working as an editor in October. I’ve also been a Mindless Ambassador, which entailed contacting students from universities participating with the internship program to encourage them to join. These have all been truly amazing opportunities for me. It is rare to find such relevant work experience in your first year at university. I’m incredibly grateful to Mindless Academy for taking a chance on me and giving me a space to grow my skills and CV. Anyone who is interested in social media, writing, content creation or social justice - I would highly encourage you to take part in this wonderful internship!