Content Scientist Intern Review

My motivations in applying for Sparx revolved around my interest in the education sector and the profound impact our schooling has on the success of the future generations. Sir Ken Robinson neatly identifies what's wrong with our outdated, 'industrialised' education system, and my initial impressions of Sparx were that they could be the first company in the UK to 'spark' the technological revolution in education: changing the current education paradigm and improving the ability maths students nationwide. It was those motivations that were met during the internship, and both observing and contributing to the Sparx ideal was consistently satisfying and enjoyable. Whilst the extent of enjoyment derived from job satisfaction, there were other aspects of working for Sparx that were particularly fun. In particular, a topical company 'Olympics' was organised and took place throughout the entirety of the internship. I was able to compete every week in all modes of sport: netball, football, tennis, volleyball and athletics to name a few, and even played a lot of sport around the Olympics. Having a neighbouring company, Atass Sports, in the same building allowed me to rekindle my love for sports, something I had previously neglected at University. On top of the above: simply living with like-minded people, working for an exciting company, being in a coastal city and being exposed to a new walk of working and social life, all contributed to a very enjoyable internship.

I think something Sparx did really well was immersing each intern into a small, existing group. I was placed with two other 'Content Scientists' who had Chemistry degrees like myself, one of whom had graduated from the same university. Therefore, it wasn't hard to fit in - to quickly adapt and to have an easy, direct point of contact. I was placed in this small team to work on a continuous project: writing content for different aspects of the Year 7 syllabus. As a result, I wasn't treated like an intern, but as an equal employee. So my contributions were permanent, my opinions were taken on board and discussed and my work was valuable. The other two projects that were assigned were also of genuine worth. The first, a 'Skeletoning' project for Year 8 lessons, was to be designed and used in the future by the company. The second, a data-analysis project, was exploring trends in data that would genuinely help Sparx understand the impact of their work. The fact that all of the projects were 'real' coupled with the knowledge that the application process was thorough made me feel like my contributions were valuable.

I think I was given the perfect level of support throughout the internship. In the first week there were relevant inductions, presentations, group sessions, talks, online videos and other resources to ensure that we were happy with the Sparx style: equipment, software, documents and so on. There were 1-on-1 meetings with the recruitment staff to ensure that we were comfortable, settled and that we had an appropriate workload. Moreover, the internship was planned out so that we knew what was expected for when/who, so that we could organise our own time appropriately. For the continuous project the other members of my team were happy to give pointers, advice and answer any concerns I had, regardless of scale. For the other two projects, there were induction presentations and the staff running the projects were happy to answer any questions throughout - and set up meetings if they were needed. Due to the approachable and welcoming staff, coupled with the organisational efficiency of the company, I never felt like I was stuck or that I couldn't ask a question at any stage.

Naturally as different projects run at different times for different durations and also due to the different stages in the content-writing process, each day varied. Whilst the first week was more free in terms of individual work, the gaps were easily filled in with inductions and generally getting to grips with everything. By the end of the internship, the three main projects began to overlap and it was important to organise my time effectively. There was never a time when I felt overwhelmed and even if that were the case, there was enough support to ensure that I would be pointed in the right direction. On the other hand, I was never short of work and if the workload in one project did thin out, I could always find aspects of another project to work on. I think this worked particularly well because two of the projects were open-ended: I could do as much as I felt was appropriate within the time I had.

Each of the three projects involved different types of responsibility, which I found really interesting. For example, the ongoing project for which I was writing and reviewing content for Year 7 as part of a small team, I was often performing tasks which had deadlines of a number of days. However, I was not project managing. On the other hand, another project involving 'Skeletoning' was entirely up to me in terms of timescales, planning, thoroughness and how far I wanted to push it. Ultimately, these were all real projects involving permanent contributions, so there was an obvious sense of responsibility. Within just the first few weeks I found myself representing the company in a summer school, so an enormous amount of trust was placed in my ability and professionalism. Simultaneously, the direct contribution my office work had was a clear sign that staff were hugely entrusting.

Although I have already graduated from university, the skills I have picked up will help me enormously in all aspects of life. Of course, learning how to use specific software pertaining to the Sparx method is valuable in itself. It is important to be exposed to new methods and on the back of that is the ability to question why those methods are in place. With Sparx, everything that is used is in place because of a process paralleled to natural selection. Whilst the overall vision is clear, the software, hardware, methods by which that vision is realised are malleable enough to evolve. Everything is bespoke, therefore nothing is confined, which makes you question how and why businesses work (and incorporate technology) on a deeper level than you would with most other companies. It has become clear that I have learnt a lot about working in a professional environment. Eight weeks is a sufficient length of time to pick up how different people in different positions work with each other: how you are expected to behave and how you are expected to communicate. More specifically, the style of analytical thinking a Content Scientist is expected to apply, has made me think more logically. I have learned to question what I'm doing and more importantly why I'm doing it, and be able to get across my way of thinking clearly to other people. Finally, Sparx were happy to give feedback on any aspect of the process. Most importantly for me was knowing how I came across in the application process...understanding my strengths and weaknesses so that I can be aware of those and improve them in everyday life.

The open-plan architecture and systematic layout of teams of people throughout the office created an interesting atmosphere. I was sitting the two other members of my team who I got on really well with, so it was easy to discuss ideas and for me to ask any questions I had. At the same time, I occupied the same space as other Content Scientists and was also positioned close to those in more leading and managerial positions. This exposed me to many aspects of the company and relevant people in different while relevant parts of Sparx. Since I do not have much basis of comparison, it is difficult to describe the working atmosphere in context, though if anything I would say the office itself was generally quiet. However, I particularly liked the fact that Sparx has a young-work force, which meant a lot of people had graduated quite recently, so we were at similar stages in life. As another perk, the ground floor provided a very relaxing atmosphere, notably due to the pool table and table tennis table!

The application process was seamlessly and impressively well-organised. I was notified of different stages well in advance and all travel costs were reimbursed. The internship itself was similarly well-organised.

Each process or piece of software came with an induction from the key people involved. There was then ongoing training/advice from my team. Specifically, I learned how to use the Sparx QM and ST software, how to create Sparx videos and for 2-3 weeks I had the opportunity to learn coding in R. It was made clear that if I wanted to go further, I could simply ask and the relevant staff would help.

In the final week of the internship, I am required to give a ten minute presentation on my time here. This, along with other criteria such as the merit of my work and meetings with team leaders, will be used to determine whether or not I should be offered a job. For me, the internship has provided a real and genuine insight into life here and I think Sparx would be an awesome company to be a part of.

In the first week, Sparx organised a dinner and drinks for everyone to welcome the interns. We ended up exploring the nightlife around Exeter and getting to know the more social members of staff! Everyone was happy to invite the interns along to birthday meals, social events, sporting events and anything else that happened outside of work. So in general there was plenty of opportunity to get to know people outside of the working environment!

The accommodation was part of the private halls provided for University of Exeter students and was all paid for. The food in the office was of a high standard and again was free. Therefore, there were few financial outgoings. Expenses mainly came from buying food for outside of work time and paying for car-parking (most places in Exeter city central are pay and display!).

Only really visited TimePiece club which is fun, but generally found other things to do on the weekends like visiting the coast and the Dartmoor national park. There are few students around in the summer so the bigger nightclubs tend to be closed over the summer. There are plenty of quirky pubs though.

The staff were happy to provide suggestions of other things for us to do - including mountain biking in the Dartmoor national park, going to the beach, recommended pubs etc. The accommodation itself had a gym, pool table and general hostel-like feel to it, so I was rarely bored or lost for things to do.