Careers advice

How to Choose an Internship: 5 tips

Maybe you’ve finished University, or you’re half way through a course or a master’s degree, and the opportunity comes up to apply for an internship. This is not a matter to be treated lightly. An internship is your first step into the world of work and should be chosen with care.

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There’s obviously no guarantee that a company will offer you a job after you’ve completed your period of internship. Indeed, this often doesn’t happen, but doing an internship is still an initial experience of work and a useful form of development and training. Let’s look at how to choose an internship.

Five Tips to Help You Choose an Internship

An internship is your first experience of the world of work, so here’s how to choose the one to suit you.

  • Be guided by your interests: first consider what you like doing. What are your real interests? This will help you choose a company that offers a gateway into the sort of work you’ll enjoy.
  • Explore feedback: companies and businesses that offer internships to young people have usually been doing it for a while. So there will be previous interns who can tell you about their working experience and how their employer behaved.
  • Look at the hours involved: the working hours can be very variable. If you’re still at university, look for a part-time internship, or one that doesn’t involve working all day or all week.
  • Expenses pay: you should get some payment. You’re about to do an internship, and as a minimum you should get paid for your expenses. Ensure you know all the facts before accepting any offer, especially if you’re being asked to do unpaid work.
  • Have a look at your colleagues: you won’t know for sure till you start, but you can try and find out if the working environment is likely to suit you or not.