How to find an internship

Hi all, I hope you’re enjoying your summer holidays. With so much free time without studies, now is an opportunity to get ahead of the game finding an internship for next summer. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

1. Research

Take your time over summer to research different areas that you are interested in. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do after university, one of the great reasons for doing an internship is to try a career out! Try to create a list of all the internships you would like to apply for and make sure to write down the deadlines too!

2. Be open-minded

When choosing what internships to apply to, it’s a good idea to include both small and large firms and those with different sizes of intakes. For large companies with several internship schemes see student career networks and job pages such as Bright Network and Student Ladder. The UoB Internship Scheme offers paid work experience with SMEs which are only open to UoB students. Not only does this increase your chances of getting an offer but also gives you a good experience of different recruitment styles and processes.

3. Be prepared

Whilst you’re free from university work, take time to update your CV. For tips on how to write and format your CV, try the Careers Service’s resources. Don’t be afraid to let your personality stand out in your CV – employers want to interview someone interesting and to hire someone that they’d like to work with.

4. Engage

To make your application stand out from the crowd, you need to show not only that you’re interested in the sector but that you’ve really engaged with the company. Make sure to attend on-campus presentations from the companies you’re applying to and come along to the Women in Finance events!

5. Persevere

Applications can be draining, and rejections even more so. The chances are that you won’t ace your first application or your first interview. Be sure to ask for feedback and turn the rejection into a way to improve for the next one!