Actions Over Your Years

Students generally intern during their freshman and penultimate years. Read on for a general guide on how to take up internships, part-time jobs and additional projects while you’re still in university.

Freshman year

Term 1

• Get to know what your university has to offer. Join clubs or societies you’re interested in and build up your portfolio. If there’s any upcoming competitions you’re interested in, do your research and check if you’re eligible to join.

• Locate your university’s career centre and check out the services they offer. Most centres also have an alumni network that can be of great help to you, so ask about that as well.

• Start exploring different career sectors that interest you, whether it’s law, engineering or media. Once you’ve decided, look out for open days, insight programmes, career fairs and networking sessions related to your choices.

• Do your own research on short programmes that some employers may offer first years.

• If there’s any personal projects you have in mind, now’s a good time to start. Just be sure to maintain it and have it completed over your time in university.

• Create an account on a professional social media platform of your choice, such as LinkedIn.

• Consider getting a part-time job over the upcoming holiday, or volunteer at a charity. • Keep developing your networking and communication skills.

• Continue making the most of your professional social media platforms.

• Whether you manage to get a place in volunteer work, an insight programme, or part-time job, keep a notebook to jot down what you’ve learnt and track your development. If you’re asked to return for an internship interview the year after, the employer will want to know what you picked up from them over the time you were there.

Term 2

• Document the challenges you overcame in your volunteer work or part-time job. You can use it for future applications for internships or graduate jobs.

• Settle on the sectors you’re interested in (on page 62), as well as the employers you like. This will help you narrow your scope of applications later in your internship journey.

Shortlisting your preferred employers will help you customise your application in the best light.

• If travelling permits, consider international volunteering opportunities.

Penultimate year

Term 1

• If you’re eyeing that internship with a popular graduate employer, start applying early in the term.

• Find out about upcoming internship fairs organised by your university and other event organisers.

• If you don’t mind juggling both an internship and your schoolwork at the same time, consider keeping a lookout for rolling internships.

• If you’ve been invited for an internship interview, brush up on your techniques (on page 50).

• If you’ve been accepted for an internship with a company you want to join after graduation, treat it as an opportunity to get your foot into the door and stand out (tips can be found on page 58). Take the time to get to know your work and employer as you figure out your career interests.

• If you were rejected for an internship you wanted (page 52 will help you bounce back), turn to your contingency plan and apply speculatively (turn to page 34 for help). Meanwhile, consider doing an internship with a smaller employer, or volunteer at a charity or NGO. Consider shadowing a professional in a company for a day or more if possible. • Keep an eye out for rolling internships if you didn’t get one over the holidays. Some internships may only be offered later in the year.

• If you have no internships coming up later in the year and you didn’t complete one over the holidays, go over your options with your university career centre and come up with a plan to take advantage of opportunities in university or work experience you already have. If possible, try to arrange a period to shadow a professional.

• Take a closer look at what you have lined up. You’ll be starting your final year soon and companies will start opening their applications for graduate schemes.

• If you’re going into your final year and feel you’ve missed all your chances, there’s no need to worry! Make the most of your university career centre’s resources and explore the possibility of graduate internships.

• If you’re planning to take a gap year after your graduation, plan in advance how you want to present your experiences to prospective employers when you return.