What are internships? 

An internship is a short period employment opportunity for students who are engaged in some higher education course to use their learned skills in a professional environment. Nowadays, Internships are available both at the office and work from home ways. Also, some internships are disbursed while some are unpaid. Many times these internships get converted into full-time jobs if the employer is quite happy with the intern’s performance. Also, many courses or programs have integrated internships as a mandatory part of the curriculum to ensure that every scholar gets industry exposure. 

Why internships are important?

Internships help students in various ways and I don’t think there is any disadvantage of engaging yourself in such employment activities. Following are some points which show the significance of internships in student life: 

1. Since internships are quite popular, many employers are seeking candidates with good internship experience. 

2. Students can finance their higher education by working side by side in an internship.

3. Internships allow students to see whether they actually like that field in which they are working or not. So, it will figure out what they enjoy and what they don’t, when it comes to working in that field. Using this, you can streamline your master’s studies as well.

4. Both technical skills and soft skills are developed during such employments. 

5. It is a wonderful way to assemble industry connections for a student which is of great importance in the modern business world. 

6. Short-term employment can easily become a full-time job if your performance is exceptional. 

How to find internships in the UK?

Following are some common ways to find internships in the United Kingdom: 

1. LinkedIn groups 

LinkedIn is an application dedicated solely to the professional networking and advancement of career of people. Various groups and pages are there on LinkedIn where several internships are posted regularly. Interested students can check them out by searching using the keyword “Internship in the UK”. 

2. Internship platforms

The UK has several portals and websites from which, students can find and apply for internships. Some popular portals with reliable opportunities are listed below:

• Milkaround – It consists of more than 1000 internship opportunities for students. 

• Student Circus – It provides internships especially for students on Tier 4 visas.

• Rate my placement – It is a portal where students can apply for internships and also write feedback on their feedback forum. This platform is capable of solving all queries regarding finding internships and how to excel in them. 

• TARGET jobs – Along with finding internships, students can get a piece of advice from industry experts. 

• E4S – It is the best platform to find internships, part-time jobs, short-term vacancies during summer or holidays. 

3. Government-authorized resources

Check the official website of the UK council to see the latest employment vacancies such as full-time jobs, part-time jobs, internships, apprenticeships, etc. The website is GOV.UK

4. University placement cell

Every university has a well-structured placement cell which you can contact to know the internship opportunities. Also, they can give you other suggestions of prospective resources as well.  

5. Apply directly to Company

You can directly contact the company if you come across an opportunity and apply for it on their website. 

6. Social media platforms

Nowadays, every company has social media presence and whenever there is an employment opportunity, they notify on their social media handles. So, you can use keywords and hashtags to find such opportunities and apply them directly.