What is an internship?

An internship is a unique opportunity offered by employers designed to give you an insight into the way their company works, their culture and the work you would be doing if you were there. An internship can last for any amount of time, but generally will last be from 2 to 6 months and allowing you an in-depth view into that industry. 

What will you be doing as an intern? 

Employers often use internships as a way to assess if you would be a good fit to work there, so they will want to push you and assess your full capability. Work will vary but you will usually be set projects along with targets to reach by the end of your role along with training for your specific industry or job. You’ll have a manager that you will report to and generally work in a team that will support you throughout your work. Remember to be proactive – go beyond tasks that you have been set and use your student perspective to your advantage. Suggest cool ideas for your company’s social media or blogs – show you are invested and employers will love that. If you’re looking for more top tips on what to do during your role, check out this guide on making the most of your internship

What will you gain as an intern? 

Being an intern is a fantastic way to pick up skills that will propel you forward when you start full time work. There will often be opportunities to attend training or attend networking events. If you throw yourself into every opportunity, you’ll be on your way to kick starting your career – here’s our guide on how you can convert your internship into a full time role. You’ll have the unrivalled opportunity to learn lots of different skills - whether they are particular to your chosen industry such as writing a report in a research role or developing your copy writing in a marketing role. Not only that, but the soft skills that result from length of time in an office environment is invaluable. You will learn how to prioritise your time, how to talk to clients, how to set an agenda for a meeting & and how to get along with your manager and your colleagues. 

Make sure to use your time wisely as an intern. You will have fantastic exposure within a business, so make every opportunity count. It’s a terrific time to meet your colleagues from across all departments - so if there’s another team you are interested in, ask questions, go for coffees and find out more. Check out our guide for networking and make sure to follow all our top tips!  

The benefits of an internship 

Ultimately, an internship is a way to see whether you enjoy your chosen industry and discover if it is a career path you’d like to follow. It’s a chance to experiment with industries to get a flavour of what you might fancy. It’s completely fine to not enjoy the work you are doing in your internship, but still make the most of the learning opportunities and you never know, you may discover another career path you love in the meantime. But, if you do love it, then that’s perfect! Remember to treat your entire internship as a job interview and if you’re looking to convert it to a full time role, check out our Academy module on how you can do this!