As a fresh graduate, I’d seen my peers take up
roles in academia, large corporations, and non-profits, and was interested in
all three. In 2020, with widespread funding cuts and hiring freezes, it seemed
as though I had access to none.
That is, until I found the Associate Consultant
traineeship at Soristic through a listing on LinkedIn. The organisation stood
out to me because it combined the analytical rigour of a consultancy with the
mission-driven work of a social enterprise, and this was just as true for the
interview process as it has been for every day at work.
As for work, my four and a half months on the team
have involved:
- Impact assessments for a CSR programme.
- Scoping out potential themes for an
international philanthropy conference.
- Developing a course about embracing
digitalisation in the non-profits sector.
- Researching methods of measuring social return
on investment and inclusive hiring practices in Singapore.
- Creating an online game and facilitating
workshops geared towards building empathy as a young person.
I should add that this all happened with a team
based in Singapore while I was based in London. I am very grateful for their
willingness to provide support and knowledge across the eight-hour time
difference: there have been many quick Zoom meetings that bloomed into
discussions about various issues across the social sector (some of which you
may even see in our upcoming Social Connex public lecture series).
My time with Soristic has shown me that it is
possible to combine the intellectual curiosity of a university with the
nimbleness of a consultancy and the passion for social change of a non-profit organisation.
It’s an empowering lesson that I look forward to taking with me as I start my
career – that, and when the pandemic years eventually wind down, to finally
meeting my team.
