How to find an internship

An internship is a period of work experience typically lasting anything from 2 weeks to 12 months.

Some internships can be flexible, and might be full time, part time or virtual.

Most internships are paid, but some are unpaid and only cover the cost of expenses, like travel costs. You can find out about your rights as an intern from GOV.UK.

A lot of companies in a range of sectors offer internships aimed at students, recent school leavers or graduates. These often take place for around 3 months during the summer holidays.

Reasons to do an internship

The aim of an internship is for you to:

learn about the culture and values of an organisation
test out your career ideas
start building a professional network

If you make a good impression it can improve your chances of getting a position in the future.

What an internship involves

Internships are a great way to gain work related skills. The tasks you’ll do might change based on the specific internship.

For example, during a:

2 week internship you might shadow the team and learn about different jobs in the company
3 month internship you might work on a project with other team members, developing your teamwork and communication skills

There are also supported internships available for young people with special educational needs or a disability. These involve a personalised study programme and support from a qualified job coach.

When to start looking for vacancies

Sixth form and college students should begin looking for opportunities at the beginning of year 13.

On a degree course you should typically start looking during the summer of your first year for internships that will take place the following year, in the summer of your second year.

The application process is similar to applying for graduate roles and usually includes:

an online application form
online tests
a screening interview - usually phone or video
an assessment centre

Get help to find and apply for internship and virtual internship vacancies from:

your school, college or university careers adviser
your university internship officer – they may have relationships with employers who offer opportunities just for students of your university
advice on graduate recruitment sites

Where to look for vacancies

There are lots of ways to find internship vacancies. You could:

talk to your school, college careers or work experience co-ordinator
visit your university careers service
look online at sites like Milkround.com, Not Going to Uni, Prospects, and Target jobs
go directly to company websites that you want to intern for
follow companies on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
network within your family, friends and older students with internship experience
contact companies that interest you by sending off a CV and a cover letter

Find a virtual internship with overseas organisations

Some overseas organisations offer virtual internships where you work remotely from home. Virtual internships can be flexible and allow you to fit work around other personal responsibilities.

There are specialist websites that offer advice and advertise vacancies, like:

University careers services can also give you more information about other trusted organisations.

Top tips to get the most out of your experience

There’s no right way to be an intern. But, there are some things you can do to create a positive impression and make the most of your internship.

To get the most out of the opportunity, you could:

introduce yourself to others and start to build your network
be proactive and look out for opportunities to take part in training, meetings or social events
have regular catch-ups with your supervisor
reach out to other virtual interns if there are any or new recruits to the company to support each other
never be afraid to ask questions

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

There is a problem