Interns case study: ‘It was a chance to show what I could do’

Megan Johnson, 23, a charity development worker, says she owes her job to the Adopt an Intern scheme.

She found herself stuffing envelopes and doing data entry in a series of low-paid jobs after graduating from Edinburgh University in 2010.

She began her paid internship in February last year and was kept on as a development worker for the charities Smart Play Network and Working on Wheels.

“Unpaid work experience is great for your CV, but as a graduate, it’s very limiting,” she said. “The only people who can take them up are those whose parents can afford to support them.

“It was frustrating coming out of university and just really wanting someone to give me a chance.

“This scheme gave me a chance to show what I could do.”

CHRIS MARSHALL