Internships are an in-between step that allows each intern to combine theory and practice to prepare for a trade. This method offers many advantages to students and recent university graduates, including the opportunity to earn a salary during their studies.
But finding a company to do an internship with is not always easy. Many internships can get super competitive, with multiple interview rounds and application deadlines. So here are some of the best techniques for finding your future internship.
Preparing to Apply to Internships
The preparation of your CV and sometimes a cover letter is essential to getting a great internship.
To be recruited by a company in the sector you want, it is possible to make an unsolicited application or to respond to an advertisement published by the company itself.
Whatever the means, it is essential for every prospective intern to be prepared to send out dozens of applications.
Students should start by defining their career plans and making a list of companies in which they would like to work. This can also be specific as to what jobs they would like to find.
Having a career path defined during university or shortly after graduation can help you narrow down your prospects from the thousands of job vacancies available out there.
Narrowing it down to job vacancies in a specific region or city can also be helpful. Do you envisage yourself as an intern in London? Do you want to find jobs anywhere but in London? Physical limitations can often play the biggest role in deciding your internship opportunities.
Once the career plan has been defined, it is time to move on to the CV and cover letter stage. The CV should be updated and should highlight the student's abilities, the diploma they are preparing for and their experience if they have any. For example, volunteering is a good experience to highlight.
The cover letter shows the student's interest in a particular company, in work-linked training and in the profession for which they are training. It is advisable to modify the cover letter according to the company to which it is sent, even if this may seem tedious.
Workshops on creating CVs and cover letters are sometimes organised by the student’s university in order to help students with their applications.
Once the applications have been sent in, you should not hesitate to follow up with companies and potential employers, who are sometimes overwhelmed by requests from students or others. Ideally, you should follow up with the company by e-mail about two weeks after sending the application
If the answer is positive, students will have to go through an interview or even several. It is also important to prepare well for these interviews by practising with teachers, relatives or university counsellors.
A period of 2 to 6 months is estimated for finding the right intern opportunity. The most favourable periods are between April and July when many intern offers are made for the start of the school year. It is also quite common for jobs to be published in September. This allows latecomers the chance to find a company anyway.
Contacting the Company Directly
Many companies prefer direct contact with candidates rather than sending emails that get lost among hundreds of other emails. Going directly to the company is a way for the student to make an impression and show their motivation to join the team.
This kind of initiative is particularly appreciated, and actually feasible, in small companies where it is easier to approach the managers. You can submit your CV and cover letter to the company’s contact email or directly to the company manager if possible.
Again, this is a particularly great approach for people who are interested in very specific jobs or have a very specific company in mind. Keep in mind, however, that if there are no posted vacancies the chances of getting a paid internship are unlikely. For example, they might offer you unpaid work experience instead.
It can of course be difficult to travel to all the companies you want to apply to. Make a list of companies that you particularly like and that is not too far from your home.
Use LinkedIn and Social Media
The Internet is now a great tool to facilitate recruitment and search through thousands of vacancies. Social networks make it possible to disseminate offers for internships to as many people as possible and very quickly.
The social network LinkedIn, dedicated to professional exchanges, is particularly interesting for finding an internship. Companies regularly publish their job offers via this social network.
Students can actually create their CVs online and apply directly to the recruitment offer on the site. It is also possible to send a CV and cover letter directly via the email published by the company.
This social network also allows you to contact people employed in the company. This can be a gateway to finding a job, but please be aware that there is a thin line between showing passion and spamming people.
Other social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram and others, can also be useful in order to find paid internships. For example, you can write a short text explaining your search for an internship contract and then distribute it to your contacts, who will in turn distribute it to their contacts, etc.
Using your University Network to find an Internship
Universities usually have a great network ideal for finding paid internships. This can be especially great for international students and graduates who can also leverage their uni’s knowledge for visa help.
Universities generally manage an alumni network that enables students to contact companies that are likely to take on interns based on past students. Often these are partner companies or companies in which former students have worked.
The university sometimes acts as a direct link between students and companies by offering interview sessions. The students go through several interviews with different companies with the aim of getting a good job offer.
It may also be useful to ask former students which companies they did their internship with. This can give you an idea of the type of companies that are out there, but also give you some ideas about where to send your application.
Former students can also give you an idea of the average salaries at specific companies as well as typical benefits.
Do You Have to Move to Find a Paid Internship?
When it becomes difficult to find a work-linked training course, many people may start looking outside their city or even their region. It is super common for students to attend a school close to their parent's home and obtain a job much further away.
This solution obviously depends on the means of the intern and the offers available at a given time.
It goes without saying that no matter who you are, an international or domestic person, London is the best city in the UK for paid internships based on numbers only.
Obviously, this statement starts to change depending on what subject you want to find your internships in. For example, Tech jobs are more common in all of the UK’s biggest cities compared to Art and Sports internships.
That being said, depending on the availability of internships in your area as well as the career you want to dive into, moving might have to be an option.
The Best Websites for Finding Internships in the UK
On the internet, there are several sites that list advertisements and can help future interns find their company. These include
LinkedIn: launched in 2003, this site aims to help people find a job, train or expand their professional network in order to help them towards professional integration.
Indeed UK: this site is also a great resource to find a list of advertisements for work-linked training contracts. Students can find almost 5 000 offers for internships in all sectors.
Student Circus: this site is one of the most popular websites for international students in the UK that have a Tier 4 visa. This website is a great resource for students or recent graduates who need a work-sponsored visa and are looking for an internship.
Find an internship at GOV.UK: while the job portal specifically for internships is now closed, you can still use the “Find a job” service on the government’s website to find an internship opportunity in England, Scotland and Wales.
E4S: this website, short for Employment 4 Students, is one of the UK’s most popular sites for internships and part-time jobs.
In addition to these sites specialising in job vacancies for students, it is always a good idea to take a look at the classic job adverts and vacancy sites. It is thus possible to visit:
- Glassdoor,
- Monster,
- Reed,
- Totaljobs
Prospective interns need to look regularly at new offers as they arrive every day. The process of finding an internship is sometimes long and tedious, but it is important to stay motivated in order to convince companies to recruit you.
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