I'd recommend anyone to apply to Change 100
Dan
Dan took part in the Change 100 programme in 2019, where he worked in quality assurance at BMW. He graduated from UCL with a masters in Natural Science and is now working towards a PhD in cancer research at Imperial College London.
I have dyslexia, but I only found out at university. I was always slow at reading and writing, but I started finding things even harder at write essays. So I took a test and was diagnosed with Dyslexia.
I found the Change 100 programme after seeing it advertised online. The application process was so different to anything I’d seen before. Everyone was so friendly and supportive. The assessment day wasn’t competitive, and I could tell it was a well organised programme full of great people.
My internship at BMW
My role was at BMW in quality assurance, looking at different processes in the business, how they can improve and where they’re making errors. It was such a valuable experience. Although it might not have been a role I’d have chosen myself, I was pushed to do this brilliant new thing. All my previous experience had been in scientific training, so it was good for me to see and experience the corporate world.
I definitely improved my data analysis skills during my internship. Communicating with people in a business setting was another skill I gained, and I also built my confidence – I’m now comfortable going into meetings, listening to people and voicing my opinions.
The regular professional development sessions organised by Change 100 really increased my confidence to talk about disability and not be afraid of disclosing my disability in the workplace. It also gave me the opportunity to network with other interns and I’m still in touch with some of the people I met.
What I'm doing now
I’m now starting my PhD in cancer research at Imperial College London, so I’m still following that scientific route, but having the data analysis role really helped me. It shows that I have another side to my skill set, which was really attractive when I was going to interviews for my PhD.
Change 100 really does push you to do something you’ve never done before. I wasn’t a car person before at all, but it taught me the importance of transferrable skills, which I can bring into any job. I’d recommend anyone to apply