Written by Hannah Lawrence, Inspiring Interns
In the current economic climate young people are facing the toughest job market in a decade, with one in five graduates out of work after leaving university. There are nearly 70 applicants for every position which reflects the competitive nature of the graduate jobs. To climb onto the first rung of the career ladder having a degree is not always enough and young people inevitably need that little bit extra to stand out.
One feature of this complex issue has been the steady growth of the internship. An internship can be the perfect solution for graduates to gain experience, skills and create valuable connections in their chosen industry. The majority of companies that take on interns see it as an ideal opportunity to better evaluate applicants before committing to employing them. For such a competitive and male-dominated sector like technology, the experience women gain through an internship can only aid them in breaking into the industry.
So how successful is an internship in your quest for your dream job?
To answer this question I have interviewed three interns. Firstly, Hannah-Louise Vickery, whose internship has lead to a great position within web development and design. Secondly, Michelle Lee who is currently interning for an online gaming site and finally, Amruta Mane who has been offered a permanent position with her company after a 3 month internship.
Hannah-Louise had this to say;
What kind of internship were you looking for?
I was looking for my next challenge, I had been a web editor for around 4 years in a big publishing house whilst at art school and university. I wanted an internship in website development, using my knowledge of CMS systems, social media, user experience etc.
What did your internship involve, and what did you learn?
I learnt all the nitty gritty ins and outs of working with an online start up. My job was to manage content and run the website on a daily basis. Every day I created the e-newsletter, managed the online schedule, worked on dynamic landing pages, advised and assisted in social media campaigns. I also advised them on the creation of a blog to help them sell their products and communication with users. In my time there I designed the blog and worked on redesigns 1.5 & 2.0. I also managed the content on their mobile app.
What role do you feel the internship has played in preparing you for the working world?
It threw me in at the deep end a bit with a mixture of people, I had always worked in a big corporations so it was quite a shock to go to a very small team who all worked in the same room. It changed my perception of how to search for a job - it's not just if you fit the role the company are advertising, it's if the company fits you as well. I loved working in Shoreditch and am grateful for all the responsibility and experience I got in my internship.
What now?
The company I interned for wasn't right for me but gave me the experience and confidence to move to another business where I am currently working on a redesign and re-launch of a big B2B website.
Michelle Lee had the following to say;
What kind of internship were you looking for?
Something along the line of graphic design/web design. Something that could lead to a permanent job and opportunities to learn new things!
What does your internship involve, and what are you learning?
My internship involves creating banners for online gaming websites, mailers and things that are needed to maintain a site! I've learnt new things since day one. On the first day of my internship, I created my first Flash animation. I can now say I'm at the same level of many of my design colleagues.
What role do you feel the internship has played in preparing you for the world of work?
It takes up many roles, it gives me a chance to network, to learn new software and even to join their internal meetings and bake sales. It is great fun! It taught me how to deal with people and that in the real working world.
Amruta had this to say about her internship;
What was your degree in?
I did a Masters degree in Advance Computer Science.
What kind of internship were you looking for?
I was looking for an internship which would provide me experience, develop my skills, ability and understanding within the IT industry.
What did your internship involve, and what did you learn?
The internship involved IT support so the job consisted of testing software, preparing documents/test plans, and looking into the code and understanding it to resolve errors.
What role do you feel the internship has played in preparing you for the world of work?
The internship has helped my understanding of the IT industry and how things work within this sector. Being a part of a growing company gave me a chance to grow with the company. It provided the best learning curve which is required for any graduate before joining a company. My internship not only helped me learn but also aided my decision to pursue a career in this field.
Hannah Lawrence works for Inspiring Interns, a company that actively matches graduates and employers. Inspiring Interns has placed over 750 interns at companies since January 2009. Sixty-five percent of these interns have been taken on permanently by the company they interned for, and ninety-three percent of interns secured a full-time job within a month of completing a graduate internship.
