Internships

Working full-time for zero pay may sound like slave labour, but an internship could give you the experience you need to land the job you really want.

What is an internship?

Internships are formal work placements that should involve proper tasks – not just shadowing colleagues or making coffee – and can last from a few weeks to several months.

They're a chance for potential bosses to test your calibre – and if they like what they see, they might even offer you a job at the end of it. For example, Deutsche Bank awarded 70% of its summer interns a place on its graduate employment programme last year.

Hard times

According to Heather Collier from the National Council for Work Experience, internships are even more important during times of economic crisis.

"There are fewer full-time, permanent opportunities around and employers really want evidence that you've experienced the world of work," she says.

"In an ideal world, any work that adds value to an employer would be paid," she adds. "But you shouldn't turn down an unpaid placement just for fear of being exploited – you could just be at home for the same amount of time without getting a look in anywhere."

If money is an issue, it's worth bearing in mind that the Government has recently changed the rules so that graduates who have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for six months or more will be able to do an internship for up to 13 weeks alongside claiming JSA.

Where do I start?

Sam Fielder, 21, decided to move back in with his parents to save money while he completed his internship at London media company, Tanla Mobile.

He found his placement through the Inspiring Interns agency, one of a whole host of private companies that place interns with employers. "I sent my How to write your CV to lots of agencies," says Sam. "Some were really bad – I didn't hear back from a lot of them. But when I emailed Inspiring Interns I got a call back quickly."

Sam arranged to go in for an interview four days later. After asking him a few questions they shot a 30-second video to send to prospective employers. Tanla were impressed and after his interview offered him an internship.

"I started in the marketing section, so I've been coming up with new ideas for the company. I've also been making sales calls and reporting statistics for the website," he says. 

If you're applying to firms directly, you should only target those companies that meet your career aspirations and experience, advises Heather.

"The old blanket approach of sending your CV to as many companies as possible does not work in today's economy," she says. "You need to be very specific and tailor your applications."

Don't be shy

While you shouldn't expect your internship to be full of glamorous tasks, if you find you're doing nothing but making tea, don't stay silent.

"Go to the person responsible for you and ask for a meeting," says Heather. "It might be just that they haven't had time to allocate work or haven't realised."

To avoid this, agree an understanding from the outset. "The best thing is for the intern to sit down with the would-be employer and agree right at the start what they will be doing," says Heather. But she says if you're miserable, you shouldn't feel bad about jacking it in. "Remember – you're volunteering for this, there's no legal obligation to stay."

Time to impress

Make sure you keep a log of everything you do during your internship, so afterwards you can write to all the companies you want to work for and tell them what you've learned. "It's important that you articulate why you're the person they should employ," says Heather.

However your internship turns out, it's unlikely to be a waste of time, even if it helps you work out what you don't want to do with your life.

By Sophie Freeman

Photo by volunteer photographer Holly Cocker

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