Venture Scotland was thrilled to partner with the University of Glasgow and their Student Opportunities Team to offer a Communications Internship this year. Over the summer, we were delighted to welcome Navana to the team. Over the past few months, she’s been the creative force behind several blogs and videos — with even more of her work still to come on the Venture Scotland website. We recently caught up with her to hear about her experience and reflections.
My internship at Venture Scotland didn’t just give me work experience; it fundamentally shifted how I think about potential, both in others and in myself. In the beginning, I thought it would just be writing some content and managing social media for Venture Scotland, because that is what someone would expect from a communications internship. Instead, I learnt that the most powerful communication is not about crafting perfect sentences. It’s about helping people find their own voice to tell their own success stories. It made me understand that the right words can literally change someone’s belief in what is possible. Over the last three months, my learning has been immense, and I have acquired many new skills, which I believe will help my future success.
As a student who has got a background in both Economics and Journalism, I was drawn to work with non-profit organizations as I always believed that would be something I’d really enjoy. I knew Venture Scotland was working with vulnerable groups by engaging them with outdoor activities, to help them find motivation, purpose and hope. I assumed they needed help in getting their message out, and I’d learn valuable skills by supporting a good cause. But I never thought I’d become deeply invested in the inspiring individual stories behind that mission.
The interview with Katie and Tricia itself should have been my first clue that this wouldn’t be a typical internship. Sitting in their Glasgow office, I found myself talking less about my CV and more about what I hoped to gain from the experience. The conversation flowed naturally from discussing their outdoor programmes to my own experiences with personal growth, and I remember feeling slightly off-guard by how genuine and invested they both seemed in me as a person, not just as a potential intern.
One of my favourite memories was going to the Edinburgh office where I met other team members. They all shared a passion for working for the betterment of society. That day I realized that this is the kind of job that I want to be doing, which will give me immense satisfaction while working for a social cause.
Professionally, I developed skills that I never knew existed. I learned to write with empathy, to create content that is inclusive, and to tell stories that honour complexity while remaining clear and compelling. The team regularly reminded me that our audience wasn’t just funders or the general public; it was people who might be considering taking a massive leap of faith by joining our program. Therefore, the biggest challenge I faced was writing non-academical pieces with empathy as I wanted to make sure that someone who might have been going through the same struggles would be encouraged to approach Venture Scotland as they read a case study I had written up. That really felt like a huge responsibility. Over time, I got better, and it became my favourite part of the internship as I began to feel that I was creating an impact.
I learnt to use editing software and other professional tools such as SharePoint and Outlook; these skills are transferable and will prepare me for my future career. Moreover, I thoroughly understood the functioning of a non-profit and how it can be challenging and rewarding at the same time.
By the end of this internship, I feel much more confident in my skills than before, and I am looking forward to finding similar job roles, where working for a social impact can be fun as well. I carry with me not just practical skills in content creation and storytelling, but a deeper understanding of communication’s potential for impact.
Venture Scotland showed me that every organization has profound stories to tell. The challenge is learning to tell them with the care they deserve. This was the best internship experience I have ever had, and I would like to thank each of my colleagues for being extremely supportive and for helping me learn a lot.
Navana made a big impact on the work this small team could do over the brief time she was with us, and we want to share our gratitude for all the work that she did on the incredible case studies that you will see over the coming months. Thank you and very best of luck to Navana!
We are hoping to offer other internships in the future but, in the meantime, if you would like to volunteer your time with Venture Scotland, check out our current volunteering opportunities, here and get in touch with Fern on fern.urquhart@venturescotland.org.uk to find out more!