By Clare Purser (Bsc Economics & Finance)
Summer internships, whether full-time, part-time, in academia or in industry, are an invaluable asset to add to your CV. You will learn a multitude of skills to add to your portfolio and gain experience in an area in which you might wish to work in after graduation. On a lighter note, they are an effective way to fill your time over the summer break and can help cheer up your bank account. But, where do you look for an internship, what could the application process entail, how can you maximise the benefits of an internship and what might you do after your internship?
For UEA students, a good place to start looking is the careers central vacancy page. You can sign up for email updates on the latest student opportunities, including internships as they come available. Other places that host internship opportunities are TARGET jobs, Indeed and LinkedIn. Some internships, especially those with bigger firms may have early closing dates, so make sure to start looking early. Even if you do miss some deadlines don’t worry, there are so many opportunities spread across the year even in the summertime. So, make sure you look around and keep your LinkedIn profile up to date.
If you want an internship in a specific area or company and there are none available publicly or officially, ask around. There is nothing wrong with asking relevant connections if there may be any internship opportunity that you can take advantage of. The worst that they can do is say no, and even then, now they know you are looking.
In terms of the process, this varies depending on where you are applying for your internship. In some instances, it is as simple as providing your CV and sometimes a cover letter, possibly followed by an interview. For other places, there is a more intensive process, mimicking that of a graduate application. This could include a more thorough online application, psychometrics tests, and possibly an online assessment centre and interview.
Whatever the process, you should always research the place first and tailor your content to their values, and what they are looking for in an applicant. If you are invited to do psychometric tests, practise, practise and practise some more! If things do not go your way, do not get disheartened but learn from your mistakes by asking for feedback and try again. You will never get the internship that you did not apply for.
How can you maximise the benefits from an internship you may be wondering? I think to maximise your benefits you should try and engage with the people around you. This can include your line manager, other interns, or people from that workplace that you happen to meet along the way. Try and ask questions when you want to know more, you are there to learn so make the most of any learning opportunity! By doing so people will remember you, and the connections you make could help you later in life. Do not forget to note down what you do and what you learn, you will want to maximise the impact of this opportunity on your CV, to make you that much more employable.
What could you do after you have finished? The obvious place to start is to say goodbye and thank everyone, hopefully with a lunch, dinner, or drinks. Even if you did not enjoy your internship, it is always best to leave on a pleasant note. Something to do early on after you have finished is to write a summary of your experience using the CARL framework so that your experience is CV ready. Do not forget to maintain some contact with the people you meet, even if you just ping a ‘hello, how are you?’ via LinkedIn on the odd occasion.
So now you know more about internships including how to find them, the application process, how to benefit from them and what to do afterwards. My next blog will relate to my summer internship in academia last year (2020) and my final blog will cover my experience working in industry this year (2021) to give you an overview of these two types of internships.