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Internships - How to Get an Internship

Completing an internship gives candidates a great advantage when applying for full graduate jobs, particularly in investment banking, accountancy & professional services and IT.

For many students, an internship is a first opportunity to get to know an industry, a job role and the working culture of a company, whilst making contacts and applying skills developed during university. It is important to consider internships and make applications to companies you both want to work at and believe will provide you with a good platform for getting a graduate job upon graduation.

Get The Right Internship

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When making applications you will usually be expected to apply for one particular business area. It is important to spend time exploring the different divisions and career opportunities that are available to you, before submitting your applications. Try to attend as many company presentations as possible, network with other students or graduate trainees you may know and use careers websites such as WikiJob to help you in your research.

Application Deadlines

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The application deadline for many internships is the end of January, but many end earlier. It is a good idea to apply early for internships; if recruiters receive many good applications very early, they may offer, and fill, positions before the final application deadline. Do not leave your applications too late.

Internship Applications

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When making internship applications, consider your particular skills and competencies and how they might be relevant to the role you’re applying for. If you haven’t got any previous work experience, think about skills you’'ve picked up in other ways, for example during extracurricular activities or during academic project work.

Employers like to see that applicants have done their research and can explain why they are interested in a career in their particular sector. Academic qualifications alone will probably not be enough to get you an internship; it is important to show you have an aptitude for business, enthusiasm for the industry you are applying to and strong general, as well as industry specific, commercial awareness.

Internship Interviews

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Recruiters want to know that you are enthusiastic and motivated for the industry and job role you will be working in. It is essential that you effectively research what you will be doing in the position you are applying for; recruiters frequently ask questions such as:

  • What do you think you would do as an [job role]?
  • Describe the morning of a typical day as [job role].

Recruiters are looking for a realistic understanding of what’s involved in the role you are applying for and for your answers to suggest what strengths, skills, competencies and personal attributes you have to enable you to complete the role more effectively than other candidates.

Make The Most Of Your Internship

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Internships are hard work, but work that could lead to an offer of full time employment from the company you are interning at, or a job offer from another firm who are impressed by your internship experience.

Make the most of your time: ask questions when and where appropriate, try to be involved in a mixture of work tasks (not just one area) and be friendly - if people like you, there is a greater chance you will be offered a full-time graduate job.

Try to impress colleagues, HR and managers as much as possible: stay late when possible, try to look for work tasks rather than waiting to be allocated things to do and make sure you offer to make the tea (or coffee) from day one!

  • For more information about internships and placements, visit the WikiJob forum.