Working at Computer Aid: An Intern’s perspective

As my time as an intern at Computer Aid comes to end, I can look back with warmhearted memories of my time spent here.

After graduating with a B.A. degree in American Studies (Literature) and a postgraduate NCTJ diploma in News Journalism at Harlow College, I went on to look for work in the journalism field. Despite have many interviews, the feedback was always the same: not enough experience.

I decided in order to gain relevant experience finding a voluntary position was the best option. While job hunting a came across an advert on Guardian Jobs for Computer Aid International, the role was for the position of the Marketing and Communications Intern. Initially applying just for the sake of it, I later read about the charity in-depth and was impressed by their vision, mission and values.

Despite having acquired the necessary skill set to fulfil the job role, my skills were still very raw.  Starting the job was a daunting challenge for me, yet I was looking forward to working in an environment which would allow me to learn and flourish. Working at Computer Aid gave me a great chance to work on international brand development in a charity with a solid reputation.

No matter what job it is, for me starting a new job is always a nerve-racking experience. However, my nerves were put to bed straight away as my colleagues made my first day a positive experience which kicked off my time at career at Computer Aid. Nevertheless my goal had not changed; it was to find a full-time job in journalism.

Surprisingly my train of thought had swiftly changed, as I discovered a passion for marketing. Under the guidance of my Marketing Manager, I have been able to produce newsletters, leaflets and other publicity materials. What I have come to love about marketing is; each day is different from the last. Alongside assisting with promotional activities and events, I have participated in numerous events including the UK IT Awards which was the benchmark for outstanding performance throughout the UK computer industry. The awards focus on the contribution of individuals, projects, organisations and technologies that have excelled in the use, development and deployment of IT in the past 12 months. What I have come to love about marketing is; each day is different from the last.

Sadly moving on, I keep with me the lessons learnt, most importantly working in a team, whether it be negotiating with others, listening and sharing ideas, sharing tasks and responsibilities or problem solving. In my opinion there is no better way for a graduate to gain relevant work experience, than to volunteer for a charity one is passion about. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Computer Aid and contribute to its ever-growing success. Without a shadow of a doubt the hands on experience and guidance from elite professional has been invaluable and I will always support the charity.

Ibrahim Azeez.

Marketing and Communications Intern for Computer Aid.

Internet.org, balloons and practical solutions

Benjamin Smith

Whilst conducting a bit of casual research on the recent announcements regarding internet.org, and the trend towards promoting – in this case led by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg – an increase in cheap (or free), easily available internet access in the developing world, I came across a story concerning Computer Aid International and their recent work in Liberia.
According to the article, (http://www.computeraid.org/news-detail.asp?ID=254) although young people account for 65% of Liberia’s 3.5 million, research shows that this section of the population ‘…are mostly unskilled and uneducated therefore reducing their chances of employment.’ The article continues, explaining how ‘…those who graduate from high school or university are disadvantaged on the job market or in further studies due to a lack of access, use of or knowledge of information and communication technologies…’.

Now there’s been a degree of scepticism in response to the internet.org initiative, and others like it, some…

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What’s it like working in the Computer Aid workshop?

Computer Aid workshop volunteers hard at work

Please find below a blog post written by one of the volunteers in Computer Aid’s workshop. He talks descriptively and in detail about the variety of roles a Computer Aid workshop volunteer undertakes on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, he goes over the atmosphere in the workshop and the benefits of working for Computer Aid to a volunteer.

I volunteered in the workshop because I have more than twenty years of experience in ICT and wanted to do something to support Computer Aid.  However, you do not need to be experienced in IT to volunteer to work in the workshop at Computer Aid because you will be fully trained by experienced staff and you will be shown exactly what you need to do to test and standardize each PC.

Guest Blog: Permanent data erasure – are concerns about security alarmist?

Today we’re happy to host a guest post from Dr.DataRecovery at Kroll Ontrack. Computer Aid uses Kroll Ontrack’s Eraser software to data wipe all equipment received in donation from our supporters in the UK. The software holds NATO, US & various European government accreditations – find out more at the official website.

Businesses face multiple challenges when disposing of their end-of-life data and hardware. One reason is the need to meet a range of legal requirements or else face a hefty fine of up to £500,000 from the Information Commissioner’s Office. With this considerable fine in mind, data deletion and destruction should be carefully reviewed and implemented in all companies.

What are your thoughts on data security?

We’ve put together a quick five-question survey on data security to help us understand and allay concerns you may have about donating computers to charity – if you have a few minutes to spare this afternoon it would be greatly appreciated!

Click here to take part!