The word internship to many conjures up the image of a young person taking the lunch order for their boss and standing at a printer photocopying paper all day, humdrum tasks that very often don’t come with any pay. Millennials, however, are getting tired of succumbing to such menial internships and are on the look–out to discover internship programmes that offer meaningful work and boast exciting opportunities.
The Purpose of Internships
It was during the late 1960s that formal internships started to appear throughout America as employers started to recognise their potential as a recruiting tool to hire. However, internships became more widely recognised during the 1980s as the demand for knowledgeable workers increased. For many professions such as medicine and business, employers require individuals to have both academic knowledge and the hands-on experience of working in the field. Internships were created with the purpose of providing students and graduates with an opportunity to gain employment experience within their chosen industry and as an alternative to attending networking events which were popular in the 1950s.
Universities greatly encourage students and graduates to pursue internships, particularly during the summer periods, because in the current job market employers greatly value experience and having completed an internship shows employers that you have taken the initiative to put your skill set to the test and that you are passionate about working in the particular field.
Millennials Don’t Want to Be Fetching Their Employers’ Starbuck’s Orders
It has, however, emerged over the last few years that Gen Y are dissatisfied with many of the internships on the market as they fail to challenge individuals and there is no guarantee that completing an unpaid internship will help individuals to secure employment.
A study carried out by Censuswide for the Lloyds Banking Group’s social programme arm discovered that
said that they spent the majority of internships printing and photocopying documents, whilst over a third said most of their day is spent making tea and picking up lunch.
With many internships going unpaid and taking place over the summer, it is understandable that young people feel frustrated at being delegated menial tasks when they were promised an opportunity to upgrade their skill set.
However, a recent study has revealed that students have a 7 in 10 chance of landing a job with the company that they interned with which shows just how beneficial it is for individuals to pursue internships!
How to Discover Internship Opportunities
Many internships can be found by directly searching on the particular company’s website. There, companies will advertise the particular internships that they have on offer and will also specify if they are long or short-term and whether they are full-time or part-time vacancies. It can also be advantageous to make a LinkedIn account as it is a good way to network with employers and discover upcoming internships.
Traditional Internships
Financial Services
If you are a university graduate, Deloitte offer a range of different internship opportunities and graduate programmes that are suitable for graduates from many degree disciplines. Some of the fields that Deloitte cover include technology, business and financial advisory and tax consulting. Deloitte offer many graduates not only training programmes but also permanent employment and the chance to collaborate with an international network of experts.
Barclays
Barclays run a Spring/Summer internship programmes which intend to immerse you in their work, culture and business as well as to give you the opportunity to job shadow and network across the bank. The summer internship lasts nine weeks and provides interns with a tool kit of skills to succeed in a career in banking.
Exciting Internships
Disney
Working for Disney and getting paid to do so for most of us sounds like the dream job! Disney offer a range of professional internship opportunities throughout both the United States and Europe and interns have the choice of working within a specific area such as the Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel or within the Disney parks. Within each of these areas there are internship opportunities that allow you to develop your specific skill set in preparation for the career path that you wish to pursue. For example, Disney offer a Parks Management internship if you wish to go into the operations and retail sector or there is a Disney Parks Animals Programme which would allow you to be responsible for the care and welfare of animals across the properties.
Nestle
As well as providing delicious chocolate and confectionery products Nestle, the multinational Swiss food and drink company, offer a 10-week internship which is fantastic should you want to gain hands-on experience and explore a function during the summer before your final year at university. They offer internships in the following in marketing, finance and manufacturing and many formal internship candidates have secured permanent employment within the company.
British Airways
Enrolling in an internship at British Airways will not only give you the opportunity to gain experience at one of the world’s most exciting brands but it will also offer you a range of benefits such as discounted flights and unlimited standby flights! British Airways offer high school pupils opportunities for gaining hands-on work experience and they also run the ‘Emerging Talent’ business placement targetted at graduates which are 11 months long and give graduates experience of working within the British Airways business.
Digital Marketing Internships
There are a range of digital marketing internships available throughout the UK that are targeted at bright young graduates who are looking to secure a career within marketing. Most digital marketing internships last around three months and provide candidates with knowledge in branding, PR and social media management. It is the perfect internship to pursue if particularly if you are a creative individual with a passion for marketing!
Fashion Week Internships
Fashion Week Internships provide students and graduates with the once in a lifetime opportunity to intern with some of fashions famous businesses and brands. Interns can choose to intern from a range of amazing cities that are home to global fashion such as New York, California, London and Paris. Not only does interning at a fashion week internship enhance your CV and career prospects but it also gives you experience of living and working in some of the world’s most exciting cities!
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