Zsófi Kutasi

Name: Zsófi Kutasi
Course: Environmental Management
Year of Study: 3
Graduation Year: 2023

What work experience did you do?

I did a 10 weeks summer internship at a Risk Management Consultancy oriented company based in Chester called RAS Ltd and my role was called Junior Consultant.

What was it that inspired you to look for work experience?

Before my final year I wanted to gain experience in a field which might also be my future career, it was also beneficial to boost my CV and lastly, I wanted to see if this kind of job is something I would enjoy dong in the long term after I graduate.

Why did you choose to do work experience in this area?

Consultancy is something people in my course can get into as a job so I heard about this area many times but never quite understand it, so I was especially looking for consultancy roles while searching.

Give a brief snapshot of your role:

  • I was responsible for Junior Consultant and Technical Assistant related tasks.
  • There were many areas I helped with the company, mainly but not limited to tasks about measuring how safe an industrial site is under various circumstances and how can they make them safer, what to do in case accidents and how such accidents can affect the environment.
  • Proof reading, creating reports and various types of documents, handling large datasets, being present in group meetings and doing lots of research.

How did the Bursary award support you in gaining experience?

The Bursary helped me to cover a part of the living costs I had to pay as I was staying in a different city for 10 weeks. That extra financial support was very much helpful and contributed to me accepting the company’s job offer more confidently.

What were the most enjoyable aspects of your role?

It was definitely my interactions and working on projects with colleagues, sharing ideas, finding solutions and working out the ways of doing things as a team. It was also great to see how much consideration is given to the environment and climate change in many aspects.

What were the challenges?

Some tasks were harder than others, and it was rather disappointing when I could not find a solution to a problem. It was also challenging to get used to being in an office and working in front of screens for those working hours without the freedom I have now during university that I can have a longer break anytime I want.

Did you have any worries or concerns before your work experience and if so how were they dealt with and overcome?

My biggest worry was the fact that I never had such a professional, formal role before in this kind of setting. I was unsure how to behave and do things I never did before and whether if I would get used to it. Luckily, all my worries were all unnecessary thoughts because they helped me with everything and answered any question I had, the office had a great atmosphere thanks to my colleagues as everyone was super nice and helpful during my 10 weeks of stay. And as time went by, I got used to the new setting and everything within it became familiar day by day.

What specific or transferable skills did you develop through the work experience?

These skills included interactions with clients, sharing ideas with the team, working under pressure and develop effective time-management, together with technical expertise such as map making, analyzing and creating proposals, reports or technical notes to mention a few.

Did the work experience give you any insights and have these influenced your career pathway?

This experience let me have a deeper insight of how things work in this type of industry. It let me experience consultancy and everything within it which helped me think through if this is something I want to do or if I should look for something else overall, I think it did influence my pathway. I believe by doing this internship, I can now imagine myself doing a similar job as my career, but it also made me wonder that maybe I should try out other pathways as well so I could truly chose what is the best match for me.

Do you have any words of wisdom for future students looking to gain work experience?

I’d recommend all students to do a placement or internship during their degree as it can really make a difference in understanding how things work in a workplace and to see what you learn is really is something you passionate about and would like to do as a career. Apart from that, the skills and knowledge you get out, including the connections you make are so valuable and also contribute to your CV and therefore, boost your future job applications. Lastly, I recommend applying for the Work Experience Bursary, because all it does is help you do to something rewarding.