Things to Consider When Looking for an Internship
I've written a blog post about internships before where I gave you my top tips for being an intern (you can read that one here if you're interested). This one will be slightly different in terms of instead of offering tips for being one, I'll be offering tips for when you decide to look for an internship. I did my internship a couple of years ago as a Copywriter and it enabled me to bag my first graduate job. So despite them getting bad press, the right internship can really enhance your CV, especially if you need experience in the field you're applying for.
In this blog post, I'll be explaining what an internship actually is, together with tips for searching and applying for the right ones. If you have any tips for potential interns, feel free to leave them in the comment section so others can read them, it all counts :)
What is an internship?
Typically, an internship is offered by many different companies and organisations in a bid to give one work experience in a relevant field. Often, they're fixed term and can last anywhere between a week and a year. Most of the time, you don't get paid to do an internship, but I'd see this more as a long term investment, especially if it leads to permanent work afterwards.
Internships will provide all the relevant experience you may need to get your foot in the door of your chosen industry. It can be expensive, especially if commuting is involved, but like I say, it's a sound investment for a decent, quality amount of work experience in the field that most interests you. Also, you should be prepared to apply for it much like you would a permanent job, just so you're aware.
Things to consider when looking for an internship
It's important not to pick an internship at random as the right one could provide you with everything you need to land a job you'll be both knowledgeable and experienced in. Having looked for, applied and gone through a two month internship myself, I thought I'd let you know some of the things you should look out for looking for the ideal internship, no matter what sector you're looking to go into.
Find out what your specific duties and responsibilities will be before applying
Please read the job description carefully and see if it matches against your current knowledge base. Your internship will often mirror what's expected of you in a graduate role so make sure it's right for you and that you'll enjoy it.
Another thing to look out for is if the list of responsibilities and duties etc is as long as your arm or if it says that you may be called upon to do other things outside of your skill set. This rings alarm bells for me as interns often go unpaid. Don't let an organisation take advantage of you, the more simple the description (with less disclaimers) the better in that sense.
Think about the location and whether you can actually get there
COVID-19 has meant that many offices are still closed for business, but many work from home now, so location may not be an issue to start with, but as we're slowly emerging from lockdown, you should still consider the location of the office before applying as you may be asked to attend meetings etc onsite. Be realistic, too, make it as cheap and as easy for you to get there as possible - especially if it's unpaid.
Could you spend 5 days a week, 8 hours a day in their office?
This is where research comes into play, Google the company, see what customers/past employees have to say about the place/jobs they've had, look on Google Maps to find out what part of the city they're in, what is the surrounding area like? Would you feel comfortable getting to and from train/bus stations in that location?
Take a gander at their website, there may be pictures of their office so you could see what kind of vibe it has. Are there any photos of their existing team? These are all things you should look for before applying for an internship. Often, your gut instinct will kick in and you'll realise what's best.
Will you get the chance to network?
Think about whether you'll be working mainly on your own or with others. Find out if you'll have the opportunity to liaise with clients/customers, will you meet others who permanently work in the office? It will do you the world of good to get to know others as it could help if you're offered a permanent position there (which doesn't always happen so don't expect it do, basically). It will also stand you in good stead for the next paid job, whether it's with the company you did your internship with or not.
Is there a chance that you'll learn new skills?
There could be a chance that you'll get to learn new skills when you do an internship. In fact, this is very much the nature of it. It's a way to enhance the skills and knowledge base you already have as opposed to only putting to use what you know when you walk in through the door.
Often, the skills you learn during your internship will be transferable, so you can bang them on the CV afterwards and you should then become more attractive to other employers. Don't do an internship if it doesn't offer you the opportunity to push yourself further in your chosen field.
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I hope you found this blog post useful, again, if you have any other tips when looking for an internship, please leave them in the comment section below in a bid to help other readers. I will see you again really soon with a brand new blog post for you :)
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