Our researcher internship experience

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

I achieved most of goals I wrote out at the start of the internship, for example, learning about the timeline of a research project from proposal to publication (thanks to all the learning sessions), as well as getting experience of working in a different working environment. I would have liked to have more experience working with quant and qual data specifically the transformation and analysis side of things. I know this may be difficult due to data protection and the fact that POD was being updated maybe it would be useful if there were any dummy data sets available for future interns to play around with and get the opportunity to learn new software.  

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

This internship has been invaluable to me as someone in the process of changing their career with the desire to pursue a career in mental health research. The breadth of projects we were able to get involved with has been a great learning opportunity as well as all the learning sessions, getting to ask questions and get feedback from experts in their field has been immensely helpful.  

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes what would be the main thing you’d want them to know. 

Most definitely! The internship is perfect for anyone starting out in research or even those who are changing their career path. For the future interns, I would recommend reaching out to your colleagues at AF, be proactive in your communications and find out those who may be able to help you develop your skills in a particular area.  

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Generally I think everything was pitched at a good level and the volume of work was just about right. Although some of our deadlines were due at similar times which added a bit of stress, I think it was good to learn how to manage my time in that type of environment and work out the best way to prioritise for myself and balance that with the capacity of the other interns. There could have been another level of difficulty, for example being able to analyse quant and qual data. 

 If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

The internship has been a unique experience learning new skills that will be so useful for a career in research. There was the opportunity to engage with colleagues with a variety of expertise through the learning sessions and project briefings, with the chance to reach out to people directly and choose the projects we want to work on which allowed us to work flexibly and pursue projects of personal interest.   

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Everyone I’ve spoken to in person or reached out to over email/Teams have been really friendly and generous with their time which has created a positive work environment. There was also a good amount of trust and responsibility given to us on the projects which allowed me to feel that we were actually working/being productive rather than molly-coddled through the whole internship.  

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

Eventually I would like to join a PhD programme but in the meantime I am looking for research assistant roles to gain more research skills. 

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

Yes, I have achieved most of the goals I was hoping to achieve during my internship. First learning sessions were extremely helpful to know more about different subjects such as research in charity contexts, qualitative research, getting to know more about PhD opportunities and requirements, recruitment and project management. I have assumed and gained skills in various tasks, such as qualitative analysis, reaching out to partners and literature review.  

Most of the goals I could not achieve such as learning and being trained in different research or assessment tools was due to time limitations.  

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

Working in a lively diverse research environment and assuming different tasks. I have cultivated skills in time management and task prioritising. I have learned a great deal in learning sessions and met very inspiring people. I have learned a lot about community-based robust research and different aspects of it.  

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes what would be the main thing you’d want them to know. 

100% yes! It is an amazing experience and a great place to be involved in. I would suggest doing it full-time, as I have done in part-time, and making the most of the internship by making this their only focus, not hesitating to take over different tasks and catching all the learning sessions.  

 Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Yes, I think it was. Following up some learning sessions with adding more complexity could even be a bit more challenging and engaging.  

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

A great opportunity to learn, explore your interest and cultivate skills. An amazing place to meet inspiring people all of whom are eager to help you grow.  

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Overall, I am very grateful for this opportunity and very happy with my experience. Specifically in my case, I would have preferred doing this internship full-time if it was possible; however, it should not discourage anyone in my situation. Although having some short-term projects were very helpful to work across different groups and assume different tasks, I think projects we have been involved with for longer time were easier to catch up with and feel more closely engaged in my case. Still, having short-deadlines and finishing up certain tasks have also been a great learning experience.  

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I am currently pursuing research assistantship positions and aiming to do a PhD in the upcoming years.  

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

I definitely think I have achieved most of my goals coming out of this internship. I was able to participate in many projects which helped me develop my research skills in more of a practical setting. I think I was able to build up my confidence in the work I was doing and I was challenged by things that I don’t often do, like presenting information to wider groups.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

My main takeaway from this internship is probably a sense of direction for the career path I wanted. Before the internship I found it quite difficult to bridge the gap in experience between my degree and a career in research.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? 

Yes! It’s been such an amazing experience where you can contribute to meaningful work while learning as you go along. The people here are so passionate about what they do so finding out more about the range of projects running at Anna Freud was always an illuminating experience.

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

Yes, even if there was a learning curve with some work it never felt like I couldn’t ask someone for support or to clarify. The learning and work always varied, so I developed a lot of skills and learnt so much in a short space of time.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

This internship is a great way to develop a range of skills, you have access to so many incredible people and resources providing you with a really well-rounded experience. 

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share?

I’m really grateful to everyone I’ve met through this internship. It has been such a wonderful experience and I think that the people I met here have honestly been my favourite part of this experience.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I really want to continue this trajectory of research and now that I have experience in the field I want to work in I feel more confident to apply for those jobs with the skills I developed and the people I connected with.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

My goals for this internship were to expand on my research knowledge previously gained during my undergraduate degree in Psychology as well as further my experience of working on qualitative and quantitative research projects.   Over the past three months, I can honestly say I have achieved the goals I had hoped to during this internship. I have been able to provide support to a plethora of different research projects.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

I have thoroughly enjoyed attending the learning sessions which have covered a diverse variety of topics.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

I would highly recommend the internship to others for several reasons. This internship provides you with an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of research within mental health. I particularly liked and appreciated its personalised approach, as the projects and tasks assigned were in direct correlation with individual interests and preferences. Finally, this internship operates with a flexible approach, enabling you to work remotely as well as choosing between full-time or part-time hours depending on your schedule. This shows that the internship was very accommodating and took into consideration other personal commitments.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

This internship enables you to gain vital knowledge and skills that significantly contribute towards your personal and professional development. Your interests and career aspirations are at the forefront of this internship. You are provided with several opportunities to shadow different teams across Anna Freud as well as get involved in projects and tasks that align with your interests and career aspirations.

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

I would just like to say thank you! I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and hope to return as an employee at Anna Freud sometime in the future. As a Black woman who has continuously sought out research opportunities, words cannot express my gratitude for this internship.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I will be going on to work as an assistant psychologist, working with young people with autism spectrum disorder or learning disabilities. In the future, I would like to further the experience and knowledge gained from this internship by working as a full-time research assistant.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

That applying research is very important to me, and that in future I want to work in an organisation that either does that itself, or has good connections to organisations that do. And that in any future work that I do, that should be the key focus, not an afterthought about dissemination. 

That there do seem to be mentally healthy ways to work in the mental health sector and research!

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

Overall, the vast majority of things were pitched at the right level and I never felt over- or underwhelmed. Importantly, I think there were opportunities to explore interesting things more and so we could really tailor our experiences to things we wanted to learn more about and challenge at the right level.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

It was a really supportive environment to get a wide range of different research experiences at a unique charity.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

Completing my final year of my psychology undergraduate degree, and then hopefully going into research or clinical psychology!

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

Being a recent graduate with very little experience, this internship was a massive confidence boost. I didn’t know what to expect from a full-time ‘9-5’ role so I was very nervous going into it, but my biggest takeaway would be ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ so take every opportunity that comes your way even if you feel underqualified. Everyone I worked with at Anna Freud has been so lovely and it made me realise that people genuinely do want to help you, so if you ever want any advice people are more than willing to talk to you!

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

I definitely would recommend this internship. The main thing I would stress, especially to undergrad students, is how rare an opportunity like this is within the psychology field.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

The internship is amazing in giving people experience that they otherwise would have had difficulty getting, especially due to its flexibility.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I want to pursue a master’s, however, I want to get sufficient work experience beforehand – so this is more of a long-term goal.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? 

I definitely achieved the goals I set. One of my main goals was to develop my research skills and knowledge, in any capacity. I learned that there are many different areas important to research such as communication and dissemination. How will the research we conduct be distributed and seen by wider populations? By people who aren’t familiar with research jargon or the process in general? I learned of the steps taken to make research more accessible which was something I hadn’t given much thought.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

I had a few, but mainly to be more confident in my abilities. I believe I was extremely hard on myself during the internship – it is easy to compare yourself to others when working in a group of five other extremely talented and qualified interns and I tended to second guess myself and my abilities. However, after having chats with my line managers I was able to relax and be open to making a few mistakes and learning from them. Another takeaway would be the importance of proper communication and building relationships. I noticed that Anna Freud is a large organisation with many different departments. However, there seems to be a close-knit working relationship among the departments. I feel this is an important aspect, especially when the charity is working diligently to support clients experiencing a range of difficulties. I appreciate how Anna Freud gives back to the community and makes a conscious effort to involve experts by experience, knowing that professionals do have some knowledge but people who experience mental illness first hand may have invaluable insight into what treatment methods are most effective.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

Yes of course, this internship is a unique opportunity to develop research skills in a safe and supportive environment, with extremely accomplished professionals who are more than willing to accommodate your learning and provide opportunities for you to excel and capitalise on your strengths.

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

The learning was pitched at the right level and at a good pace. It was definitely engaging, with many opportunities to ask questions and engage in activities that consolidate learning.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say? 

The internship is an opportunity to develop your research skills and learn about the ways the charity provides clinical treatment to children and young people who experience mental illness. This is all evidenced by the opportunities to engage in a myriad of projects that aim to develop interventions that promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, as well as investigating the efficacy of interventions. Engaging in projects and learning sessions provides the opportunity to develop skills to conduct research at a high standard. It also provides the chance to learn different research methodologies and use various statistical software packages (both quantitative and qualitative). For me, this internship was an invaluable experience, where I not only learned but had the space to consolidate my learning practically.

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

I’m extremely grateful to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to make the internship a worthwhile educational experience. I’d say I’ve learned overall to be confident in my abilities, take the time to learn as you go, to take the initiative (if you don’t ask, you don’t get!) and to make the most of my experience. Have regular catch ups with the interns, and supervisors, engage in the best way you can. Don’t try and overcompensate for any shortcomings you feel you may have, just be yourself, that’s why you got here in the first place!

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I plan to find a research assistant or assistant psychologist role. I am very interested in both the clinical and research field and would love to marry the two together in any role I fulfilled. Long term, my goal is to get a PhD, or become a clinical psychologist.

Would I recommend this internship?

Yes! Anna Freud houses some of the kindest and most knowledgeable staff I've ever met. This internship is also for people who may have personal or physical struggles accessing or re-entering a workforce. I want more people who may feel nervous and doubt their worth to apply and know there is flexibility here to support you as you need to be supported. 

I encourage you to apply and trust the interview process to determine your suitability (it's a pretty simple process). If you are hired, you can always open the door for the next person by highlighting the weird and beautiful ways we all might need to work differently together as a team, so that the project work is well delivered and supports the wellbeing of young people from every walk of life in the UK. 

I learnt so much during my 3 months as a researcher intern; being part of a charity that values children, young people and families as well as their staff was influential. Everyone was so welcoming, willing to share their knowledge, experiences, provide training and give me valuable advice and support, which was like nothing I had experienced previously. Anna Freud is a truly collaborative and inclusive working environment, which continues to strive for diversity throughout its working practices.

The researcher internship gave me an opportunity for growth, learning and development as a black woman, to get into the field of mental health research. I would recommend this internship to anyone, as it has been hugely instrumental in my journey towards my future goals. I feel lucky to have been able to continue my journey, becoming an Assistant Psychologist with the Schools and Colleges Early Support Service.

I hope this scheme goes on for many, many years to come and expands it reach to many more individuals who may face barriers or are underrepresented in the field of mental health research, as representation really is key.