How I Landed An Internship Outside My Field Of Study
By Camille Nurse, Barbados
You may be wondering what I studied and why this internship. Despite always having a curiosity and passion for climate change and renewable energy, I pursued a BSc in medical physics. In my final year, I researched climate change and took two new courses, Fundamentals of Energy Statistics and Energy Information Management, offered in the Department of Physics at UWI Mona. Throughout the year, specifically in the final semester, I realised that I wanted to combine my passion with the knowledge acquired from my degree. When my Energy Information Management lecturer mentioned a data collection internship, I decided to apply even though I wasn’t sure I had the requisite knowledge. But what did I have to lose? What was the worst that could happen?
To my surprise, I got an interview. During the interview I was extremely nervous, but it was successful, and on May 30, 2023, the internship started.
My Challenges
I knew that doing this internship would be challenging, especially because it was outside my wheelhouse. I thought my greatest challenge would be working under pressure and meeting deadlines, but it turned out it was interacting with stakeholders. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the ease with which I communicated with personnel outside of my immediate circle decreased. This year has been the first since the pandemic where I have had to constantly interact with unfamiliar people. When the internship started, I realised I was still a bit reluctant to contact stakeholders, but there was no way around it. After a few self-pep talks I began contacting stakeholders, and with every interaction it became easier.
What This Experience Taught Me
Within my career, I want to educate and raise awareness of the health impacts of climate change. This internship allowed me to look behind the scenes at the multiple aspects that go into the energy sector. This included the laws and legislation, the programmes offered at various institutions to aid in the development of the energy landscape, the amount of energy and fuels consumed in different sectors, and the country’s progress towards its 2030 sustainable development goals.
Additionally, this internship has shown me that work needs to be done in areas such as climate change. Barbados’ greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is being updated, hence the most recent GHG emissions is not available. Ultimately, this internship has shown me that you don’t need to have a specialised degree to work in the energy sector. The weekly presentations have encouraged me to keep forging my path and grasp as many opportunities as come my way.
Although I am not sure what my next step will be, I know that putting myself out there and applying for this internship will kick-start my career. I am excited to see where my next opportunity will take me, and I hope one day to educate people and raise awareness about the health impacts of climate change in the Caribbean.
