Guide to internships 2023

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 do if you were to get a job role there. This article tells you more information about what an internship is as well as provides practical tips for securing an internship. 

• What is an internship?
• What are the benefits of internships?
• What are the different types of internships?
• Internship, apprenticeship or industrial placement?
• Difference between internships and apprenticeships
• Difference between internships and industrial placements
• How long does an internship last?
• Are internships paid?
• How to get an internship?
• Here’s what you need to apply for an internship
• Make the best out of your internship
• Key takeaways

What is an internship?

An internship is a temporary period of work that gives students or graduates the chance to develop new skills and experiences in a professional environment. Internships are a great chance for you to improve your existing skills as well as learn some new ones. Internships can vary with some involving work shadowing and others involving you overseeing and working on tasks or projects. Interns have increasingly more responsibility these days as lots now require a degree. This separates them from other work experience opportunities.  

You can apply for internships from as early as your first year of university. 

In your first year and looking for a great internship? Explore our internships for first years. 

What are the benefits of internships?

Internships have a wide range of benefits for your professional and personal development including: 

• Developing an understanding of a certain industry or role
• Enhancing your practical skills to complement theory learnt from school or university
• Strengthening your CV and cover letters
• Providing you with examples of professional experience to speak about in interviews
• Helping you make informed decisions on future career choices
• Gaining useful industry contacts to expand your working network
• Giving you a supervisor or boss who may be able to act as your referee for future job applications and mentor
• Providing you payment and/or subsidised travel and meals 
• Having the potential to lead to a permanent job role. For example, check out our advice on turning an internship into a permanent job at UBS and Allianz

What are the different types of internships?

There are many different types of internships that you can choose from. These are full-time internships, part-time internships, off-cycle internships, summer internships, virtual internships and internships abroad.

Full-time internships

These are internships where you work full-time hours, usually between 35 and 45 hours per week. As these are full-time work, they may take place in university holidays or once you have graduated so they don’t impact your studies. Your full-time internship may be in person, but there also may be options for remote or hybrid working meaning you can work from where you like. 

Part-time internships

Part-time internships are a great chance to develop working skills and gain experience alongside other commitments you have like studying. You could work anywhere between one and 30 hours of work a week which often gives you the flexibility to determine your own schedule. Like full-time internships, your part-time internship may also have a remote or hybrid working option meaning giving you more freedom and flexibility. 

Off-cycle internships

Off-cycle internships are generally between three and six months long and take place throughout the academic year. They can be less competitive than internships during the holidays as the timings usually don’t align with most students’ academic year.

Summer internships

Summer internships are an opportunity to gain real work experience in the summers. This means you can work between your university’s academic years or decide to complete the summer internship after you graduate. Summer internships can be very competitive and applications often open early in September or October. Some application windows are later on around January and February, depending on the organisation. Summer internships can lead to further internship opportunities or even graduate roles. To get the best out of your internship, explore how to make the most of your summer internship. 

Virtual internships

These are internship experiences which take place online and can be completed from your home. They look great on your CV and give you some valuable work experience which you can talk about when applying for other internship roles. We have our own virtual internship here at Bright Network, Internship Experience UK.

Internship, apprenticeship, or industrial placement?

Whilst they are all valuable work experience options, internships, apprenticeships and industrial placements are all very different.

Difference between internship and apprenticeships

Although internships and apprenticeships are often aimed at similar age groups, they are entirely different types of work experience. 

An apprenticeship involves vocational training from the apprenticeship provider, your college or your university and involves you working towards a qualification. The qualification is achieved by a mixture of theoretical learning, work shadowing and coursework. In an apprenticeship, you must spend a minimum of 20% of the time working towards the qualification. An apprenticeship usually involves a longer-term agreement whereby the individual commits to a long-term role with the company. This means apprenticeships are an ideal system for addressing skills shortages.

In comparison, in an internship, you just receive training from your employer and don’t typically gain any academic qualifications from the process. Usually, you put your existing skills into practice. Internships are generally an absolute maximum of a year long. Whereas, apprenticeships can be anywhere between one and five years long. Furthermore, internships are most often advertised at current students and recent graduates while apprenticeships can be undertaken in place of A-levels or a degree. 

Difference between internships and industrial placements

It's a common misconception that industrial placements are the same as internships. While both can be types of work experience for students and employers can use the terms interchangeably, they do have crucial differences that separate them

An industrial placement is part of your degree programme and is usually considered a module, whereas internships are mostly organised externally to your university. Because of this, you still receive academic credits for the year of the industrial placement, and it takes place throughout the term time, lasting anywhere between nine and twelve months. Internships, on the other hand, typically last between two weeks and twelve months and generally take place during university holidays. 

Interested in an industrial placement? See more information about industrial placements.

Ready to apply? Browse current industrial placements. 

How long does an internship last?

A standard internship may last anywhere between one week and a year depending on the company and the role. It may be a fixed-term contract meaning the length of the internship is confirmed before you start, but there may be some flexibility in length with the potential to be prolonged if you’re doing well. In some cases, an internship may be extended to a permanent job role. 

Summer internships, as expected, last the length of your university summer holiday. Although there may be the opportunity to confirm a role at the company later, for example, you may finish your internship having secured a job at the organisation for when you graduate. 

Are internships paid?

Internship salaries vary depending on the sector and role as well as the hours in the contract. Legally, any role labelled as an internship where you work for the company for a set period of time should pay at least the National Minimum Wage. As of April 2022, the National Minimum Wage is £4.81 per hour for under 18s, £6.83 for 18-21-year-olds, £9.18 for 21-22-year-olds and £9.50 for those 23 or over. Check out the internship minimum wage in the UK.

How to get an internship?

The application process for internships can be as competitive as it is for a graduate job role. After the initial application of a CV and cover letter, you may be asked to complete an assessment centre or interview, these may be in person or online. 

Got an assessment centre or interview coming up? See our academy modules on how to ace an interview and succeeding in assessment centres.

Deadlines for internship applications vary depending on the time of the internship. You can view and track current internships and internship deadlines. Some internships are filled on a rolling basis, meaning they will interview and hire as applications come in. This can cause applications to close before advertised so try to submit a high-quality application as early as possible. Before submitting any applications, have your CV and cover letters checked over by your tutor, career advisor at university or a friend or family member.

You may find opportunities for internships that aren’t advertised, for example through your network. This is why expanding your network as much as possible as early on as possible is a great way to ensure you can utilise the maximum amount of opportunities. If you are eager to develop your networking skills, take a look at our networking advice. Your university may also promote and have connections to certain internship programmes so be sure to explore this with your university’s career service. 

Here’s what you need to apply for an internship

To apply for an internship and secure the best chances of being offered one, you need to submit an outstanding CV and cover letter. A strong CV and cover letter give you the best chance of getting to the interview stage. Ready to write your CV? Read our CV template and tips on how to make your CV stand out! 

The next step is the cover letter. Explore advice on how to write a good cover letter and how to structure a graduate cover letter. Some general advice would be to tailor your cover letter to the specific job as well as the company and use clear examples to demonstrate why you would be a good fit for both the organisation and the role. 

Make the best of your internship

Your internship experience is a valuable chance to not only take away key learnings but also to prove to a company how valuable you would be as a long-term employee. Even if there is no option of permanent employment, the more you get out of the internship, the more you benefit from it, long-term.

You quickly come to understand the company’s culture. It’s important to try to adapt to the company’s culture during your time there. For example, if most people at the company go into the office most days and dress in smart business attire, you should do so too. Likewise, if most people come in half the time and work from home the rest of the time and dress more casually, feel free to adopt this style of work. 

Developing your network is one of the greatest benefits of an internship. To make the most of this you should be friendly with everyone and work on forming strong bonds that can continue after your internship as you never know when the connection may be valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get involved with extracurricular social activities. 

Throughout your internship, you can ask for feedback from your manager to be sure you are doing the best work possible. This helps you to continue acting in ways that are benefitting your work and stop doing things that may be hindering your work. This is also a good opportunity to learn about some new skills and habits that you could be starting to improve your work. 

Key takeaways

Use this guide to establish whether an internship is going to be the experience you need and use the advice to submit the strongest internship application. Refer back to this article for application advice and tips to make the most of the experience once you are offered an internship!

If you apply for internships and don’t get one, don’t worry! There are plenty of other ways to gain industry experience. View what if you can't get an internship Other options include but are not limited to: volunteering, short courses and qualifications and personal projects.