It’s my penultimate week at DWT. I’ve really enjoyed myself so far and I find the work I’m doing interesting and, most importantly, relevant to my future career goals. As well as this, I feel like the document I am working on will really be of benefit to the overall project and I have written something that my supervisor can actually use. I have been encouraged to add headings and any other information that I think is relevant while reading papers, and I am able to focus on the sections that I find most interesting. Not only does this keep me motivated, but I also have the opportunity to be creative and add my own input to the project, which I think is rare for an intern! This week I have been viewing GIS maps made by DWT for County Durham in a computer programme called ArcMap. I’ve got to grips with different colour schemes and overlaying different kinds of map.
I haven’t suddenly become a GIS expert over the past 3 weeks, but I have learned a lot about a tool I had never come across before starting my internship. I feel that this internship will benefit me when applying for jobs in the conservation sector because I will already have experience of working for a conservation charity and I have experience with GIS that another candidate may not.