As a fresh graduate with a Master of Arts in Social Research, I face a similar predicament to other graduates in this tough economic climate; no experience=no job. Having no experience in the research field makes it difficult to get a job and in particular in the sector that I am most passionate about, namely the third sector.

Why am I so interested in the third sector? Well I have always had a passion for it and I think  this has come from being part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) youth group in Northern Ireland. It’s called Eye Matter and I’ve been part of it since I was 14. They would campaign on issues such as employment, education, independent living and transport.

When I was 18, I went to university in North Wales, where I studied Psychology. Unsure of what I wanted to do after I graduated from university, I volunteered with my local Alzheimer’s’ Society and was still an active member of Eye Matter. This is where I heard about the job as a Politics and Research Assistant. I developed a real passion for research and seeing the outcomes of what it can do. Talking to researchers in other charities while working at RNIB, I decided to do a Masters’ in Social Research to hone my research skills at a more advanced level.

Having no experience in the research field after I finished my masters, I decided to do something about it and used the medium of Twitter to find an organisation that I wanted to give my time to and had an interest in. I was contacted by Rob White from nfpSynergy and it sounded perfect - just what I was waiting on.  

So what did my work experience involve?

On the first day I arrived 15 minutes early, better to be early than late right?! I was then greeted by Rob who gave me a tour of the building and introduced me to the other members of the team and they gave me information about what they did. Afterwards, I was set up with a laptop and set to work on data proofing and checking for nfpSynergy’s Charity Awareness Monitor (CAM). The proofing and checking involved verifying the data on the report against the questionnaire to ensure all the data in the report was accurately represented.

On the second day, I had meetings with staff who gave me more information on the CAM and then I worked with a colleague on fundraising data, looking at data inputting, analysis, findings and implications. Later, I worked on the Charity Parliamentary Monitor, looking at a comparison between the 2008 and 2013 political party attitudes towards charities. I met with the Professional Audiences team to find out about their work in Westminster.

At the end of the week, I had a mock interview with Rob and Rachel to look at my interview technique and ability to answer questions. Rachel also looked over my CV, which I found really helpful.

My work experience at nfpSynergy has given me great experience in the research field and has made me more certain that a career in research is for me. I really enjoyed my time at nfpSynergy and would like to thank everyone for making me feel so welcome!

Have you had some good or bad times on work experience? Leave us a comment below.