It is very rare that during an internship you get to meet the CEO of the company. I, however, was fortunate to spend two weeks with Jules Salmond, the CEO of CienDos. Before CienDos, I had never considered the relationship between climate data and financial services. Jules personally dedicated time coaching us through different tasks designed to give us an overview of CienDos’ products and the value they hope to contribute by tracking carbon emissions for corporate clients.
Throughout the internship, we were encouraged to propose ideas for specialist sessions and areas of discussion, each of which the CienDos team met with great enthusiasm. This refreshing intern-led approach provided valuable insight into a variety of project management and networking tools that businesses use daily, including Asana, Canva, and LinkedIn. I found the Interview Skills, AI, and Excel sessions particularly interesting, as I can carry the advice and knowledge gained into future opportunities.
We designed and delivered presentations focused on the regulatory frameworks that are central to an environmentally focused fintech start-up. This independent approach to learning allowed us to reflect on the terminology we had learnt, so we could begin to apply it to market research and the analysis of spreadsheet data. The tangible impact of our work is what made this internship special. Allowing us the autonomy to work together directly on a project being delivered to paying clients was a unique opportunity that the majority of interns do not experience. The internship was a brilliant insight into running a start-up, but more importantly, how to run a successful business with teamwork at its forefront. I now feel inspired and am looking forward to embracing new opportunities. Thank you, especially, to Jules, Izzy, Mark, Jim, and Johnathan at CienDos for their time, encouragement and support!
Overall, the CienDos internship and the START programme have been challenging but equally rewarding. Both experiences encourage a new form of learning that fosters creativity, independence and innovation. Practical learning in a corporate environment with real-world consequences is unlike anything that you can experience within the walls of a classroom. The closest you can get to this within a school environment is the START programme.