Martyn Drabik-Hamshare - Intern with Hampshire & Isle of White Wildlife Trust

University of Southampton, graduate

Tell us how you found out about the internship scheme

The Biodiversity Research Exchange was emailed to all third year Zoology, Biology and Environment Science students at University. We were then invited to attend presentations about last year’s projects.

Applying for the internship – tell us how you did this

Once I had expressed my interest by email to one of the three University lecturers involved, I was invited to an interview.

What made this role attractive to apply to?

Whilst the theoretical aspect of Ecology always interested me throughout my degree, nothing was more satisfying than actually conducting Ecological experiments.

Did you apply for more than one internship?

The Biodiversity Research Exchange was responsible for allocating graduates to the various projects. I did not apply to any other internships.

Tell us about the interview process with the employer

The interviewers were the three lecturers involved in the Biodiversity Research Exchange. They asked me various questions about my availability, access to transport and my preferences. I was also asked about what I hope to gain from the internship, from both an immediate and a long-term perspective.

Are you enjoying the internship so far? Is it what you expected?

The internship has so far been enjoyable, if not frustrating. As with most aspects of ecology, the wildlife and the weather does not always go to plan. I am however gaining experience about how to deal with these unpredictable situations through contacting experienced Ecologists and learning through my own personal experiences.

Are there any ways we could improve the GJS graduate internship scheme or the GJS Service in general?

The internship scheme in which I am involved in is very useful, as it introduces graduates to real work, where they gain real experience and knowledge from real ecologists. Currently, I do not see any way in which it could be improved.

Any other thoughts or comments?

So far, the internship has increased my enthusiasm for not only ecology, but also for British Wildlife. Through both the training and my personal project, I have witnessed and learned more about many British animal and plant species than I would have, were I not involved.

Certainly the most important aspect of the internship is the invaluable training from the likes of John Poland and Ilse Steyl.

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