A student internship gives you the chance to experience professional work while you are still at university. It can help you explore a career, develop practical skills and understand what working in a particular industry or organisation is really like. Internships vary considerably. Some are structured summer programmes with formal training and projects. Others may involve joining a smaller organisation for a shorter period and supporting a team with its day-to-day work.
The most useful internship is not necessarily the one with the biggest employer name. It is one that gives you relevant experience, helps you learn and works with your wider university plans.
Student internships can build experience alongside your studies and future plans. Explore our Placement Years and Internships guide.
Student internships can build experience alongside your studies and future plans. Explore our Placement Years and Internships guide.
What is a student internship?
A student internship is a period of work experience completed while you are studying. It is usually shorter than a placement year and may take place during the summer another university holiday or alongside your studies. Internships can vary in length and structure. You might join a structured summer programme, support a particular department, rotate between teams, complete research or analysis or al of the above an more. The exact experience depends on the employer. You may also see internships described as summer internships, vacation schemes, work experience programmes or similar terms depending on the industry.
Why consider an internship
One of the biggest benefits is the opportunity to test your assumptions about a career. Reading job descriptions and employer websites can only tell you so much. Completing an internship allows you to experience the work more directly. You can discover which tasks you enjoy, skills you want to develop, if an industry interests you and which roles you want to explore after completing university. Finding out that a career is not right for you can be valuable too.
It is better to learn that through a short period of experience than after accepting a graduate job you know little about.
Build evidence for future applications
Internships can also give you stronger examples for CVs, applications and interviews. You might develop skills such as teamwork, communication, organisation and problem-solving, while also building commercial awareness, technical ability and confidence working with colleagues. You may also gain experience of managing deadlines and balancing different responsibilities.
However, simply having the word “internship” on your CV is not enough. What matters is being able to explain what you actually did, what you learned and how you contributed.
When should you do an internship?
Internship opportunities often depend on your year of study. In first year, students are more likely to find shorter opportunities such as insight days, insight weeks, employer events and spring programmes. These can be a useful way to explore industries and understand different employers before applying for longer internships.
More structured summer internships typically take place between the second and third year of university. These programmes are often designed to give students more substantial experience and can be closely linked to an employer's graduate recruitment. However, timings and eligibility vary between employers and industries. Some internships are open to students from several year groups, while others have specific requirements. Always check the eligibility criteria before applying rather than assuming an opportunity is aimed at your stage of university.
When should you start looking?
Start researching well before the period when you want to work. Some large employers recruit for summer internships months in advance, while smaller organisations may advertise much closer to the start date. There is no universal internship deadline, so identify the industries and employers that interest you and find out when they usually recruit. Starting early gives you more time to explore possible careers, improve your CV, check eligibility, prepare stronger applications, practise interview techniques and plan around your university commitments. Focus on the opportunities that are relevant to you and the timelines that apply to them.
Where can you find student internships?
Use several routes rather than relying on just one website:
Internship and graduate job sites
Student and graduate job sites can help you search across employers and sectors. GRB advertises current internships across different industries, subjects and locations. Use filters and alerts where available so you can monitor relevant opportunities without starting the same search from scratch each time.
Employer careers pages
If you already know which organisations interest you, check their careers websites directly. If there is not an explicit internship section, search for early careers or undergraduate opportunities. Make a note of opening dates where employers recruit annually.
Your university
Your university careers service can be particularly useful for internships. It may have opportunities from employers specifically looking for students from your university. Careers teams can also help you review applications, explore industries and understand the types of experience available.
Careers fairs and employer events
Careers fairs, employer presentations and university events can introduce you to organisations you may not have considered. Use them to find out what work interns actually do and what employers look for. For more on preparing for these conversations, check out our Career Fairs guide.
Your own research and contacts
Not every useful opportunity will be part of a large internship programme. Smaller employers, start-ups, charities and other organisations may recruit students when they have a particular need. Lecturers, alumni and professional contacts may also help you identify organisations worth researching. Use contacts to learn about careers and opportunities rather than expecting someone to arrange an internship for you.
How to choose the right internship
Do not apply simply because an employer is well known, start with the work. Look for enough detail in the description to understand the likely responsibilities. Consider career relevance, what you will learn, responsibilities, what support you’ll receive, location, pay and costs.
Internship pay can be complicated because legal entitlement depends on the nature of the arrangement rather than simply whether someone is called an “intern”. For more on pay, check out our Paid Internships and Unpaid Internships guide. For more information about your legal rights while completing an internship, see Internship Employment Law.
What if you do not have previous experience?
You are applying for an internship because you are still developing experience. Employers should not expect you to have already completed several years of professional work.
Instead, focus on the experience and skills you can already demonstrate. Evidence can come from your degree, university projects, part-time work, volunteering, societies, sports, positions of responsibility or personal projects. What matters is being able to explain what you did, the skills you used and how that experience could be relevant to the internship. Do not dismiss useful evidence because it did not come from an office.
How to apply for an internship
Treat an internship application seriously. Competitive internship programmes can involve similar recruitment stages to graduate jobs, so it’s also fantastic preparation for your final year job hunt too.
Always start with the vacancy
Identify:
- essential requirements
- relevant skills
- what the employer wants the intern to do
- why the opportunity interests you
Then choose evidence from your experience that matches those requirements.
Tailor your CV
Give greater space to the experiences most relevant to the internship. That could include relevant modules, projects, technical skills, work experience or extracurricular activities. Avoid sending exactly the same CV to every employer without checking whether the emphasis is right.
Explain why you want the internship
Generic enthusiasm is not particularly convincing. Instead explain what interests you about the actual work. Perhaps you want to explore a particular career, apply something from your degree or learn more about a specific industry. Make the connection clear.
Prepare for recruitment stages
Depending on the employer, the process may include online assessments, application questions, video interviews, interviews or assessment centres. Check what you have been asked to do and prepare for that specific stage.
What happens during an internship?
There is no standard internship experience. You may receive formal training when you arrive, or you may learn mainly by working alongside colleagues. You may be conducting research, analysing information, attending meetings, helping customers or clients. Using industry-specific software, or completing a defined piece of work. The list goes on, and it completely depends on the industry.
You may also spend part of the internship observing how more experienced colleagues work. Do not worry if you are not given major responsibility immediately. It can take time to understand the organisation and show that you can handle more.
How to make the most of your internship
Once you secure an internship, think about what you want to leave with. Choose a few realistic goals, for example, improve a technical skill or learn how a professional team operates, even complete a meaningful piece of work.. Your goals do not need to be complicated. They simply give you something to work towards beyond completing the tasks you are given.
Take every task seriously
Not every task will be exciting. Some routine work is part of most jobs, so complete it properly and show that colleagues can rely on you. At the same time, if you consistently have little to do, speak to your manager rather than quietly waiting for the internship to end. You could ask whether there is another task or project you can support. Initiative is useful when it helps the team. It does not mean ignoring your existing responsibilities and searching for more interesting work elsewhere.
Ask questions and seek feedback
You are there to learn, so asking questions is normal. Listen carefully to instructions and try to understand the problem before immediately asking for help. If you remain unsure, ask. It is usually better to clarify something early than spend several hours completing the wrong task. Feedback is equally valuable. Ask your manager how you are doing during the internship rather than waiting until the final day.
A few useful questions include:
- Is there anything I could be doing differently?
- Which parts of my work have been strongest?
- Is there a skill you think I should focus on developing?
- Is there anything else I could take responsibility for?
This gives you time to act on the feedback while you are still there.
Build professional relationships
An internship can introduce you to people doing jobs you may eventually want to pursue. Get to know the people you work with. That does not mean trying to “network” with everyone in the building. Start by being interested in your colleagues and their work.
You might ask someone how they entered their career, what their role involves or what they wish they had known as a student. If appropriate, speak to people outside your immediate team too. You can also connect with colleagues professionally after the internship, where that feels natural. The aim is to build genuine professional relationships rather than collect as many contacts as possible.
Keep track of what you achieve
Do not rely on remembering everything several months later. Keep notes during your internship by recording projects you contribute to, responsibilities you are given and any positive feedback or measurable results – just be careful not to keep confidential company information. You only need enough detail to remind yourself what happened, and these notes can be extremely useful when you later update your CV or prepare examples for interviews.
What happens after an internship?
Before finishing, reflect on what you have learned. Did you enjoy the work? What did you learn about the organisation? Which skills do you want to develop next? Then update your CV while the experience is fresh. If you worked closely with particular colleagues, thank them for their support and keep appropriate professional contact details. Some employers use internships as part of their wider early-careers recruitment, and an internship may sometimes lead to consideration for later opportunities. But this varies by employer, so do not assume completing an internship guarantees a graduate offer.
Even if you never return to that organisation, the experience can still help you make better career decisions and strengthen future applications.
What if you don’t secure an internship
An internship is one way to gain experience. It is not the only way. If you are unsuccessful, think about what you are actually trying to gain. If the objective is workplace experience, alternatives include:
- part-time work
- volunteering
- society responsibilities
- work shadowing
- freelance or personal projects
- shorter employer insight programmes
You can also use rejection to review your internship search. If you rarely reach interview stage, look again at your targeting, CV and application answers. If you reach interviews regularly, focus on your interview technique and examples. Do not treat “getting an internship” as a box every successful student has to tick. The aim is to build useful experience and understand your career options.
Common internship mistakes
Applying only to well-known employers
Large employers can offer excellent programmes, but they are not the only source of useful experience. Look at the role itself.
Applying without understanding the work
Do not use “I need an internship” as the reason for applying. Know what the organisation is offering and why it interests you.
Waiting until the last minute
Some internships recruit well in advance. Research likely employers early enough to understand their schedules.
Assuming you have nothing to offer
You may not have professional experience yet, but your degree, projects, jobs and activities can still provide relevant evidence.
Staying silent when you are confused
Ask sensible questions when you need clarification. Guessing incorrectly for hours is rarely more impressive than asking for help.
Key takeaways
Student internships can help you explore careers, develop skills and gain experience of professional work. Research opportunities early because employers recruit at different times.
Use several search routes, including internship sites, employer careers pages and your university. Choose opportunities based on the work, learning and practical arrangements rather than employer name alone. Use university projects, part-time work and extracurricular activities as evidence when you do not yet have professional experience.
Once you start an internship, set a few goals, ask questions, seek feedback and take your responsibilities seriously. Build genuine professional relationships and keep notes on what you achieve. Most importantly, use the experience to learn more about both the career and yourself. A successful internship should leave you with a clearer idea of what you want to do next, stronger evidence for future applications or both.
Frequently asked questions
How should I compare two internship offers?
Compare the work first, then look at learning, support, timing, location and cost. A well-known employer or higher salary does not always make one internship better. Ask what you would actually do, who would manage you and whether you would gain useful skills or insight into a career that interests you. You should also check whether each option fits around university and is practical to reach or relocate for. The stronger offer is the one that gives you worthwhile experience while still being realistic for your circumstances.
Can an internship still be useful if it is not directly related to my career plans?
Yes. An internship can still be useful if it helps you test a career, develop relevant skills or understand professional work more clearly. The role does not have to match your degree or long-term plan perfectly. Focus on what you would learn and whether the work interests you enough to make the experience worthwhile. You may discover skills or areas of work you want to use later. You may also learn that a particular career is not right for you, which can be valuable before you begin applying for graduate jobs.
What should I do if I have very little work during my internship?
Speak to your manager if you regularly have very little to do. First, make sure you have finished your current tasks carefully and checked whether anything else is expected. Then explain that you have capacity and ask if you can help with another task, project or team. You could also ask to observe a meeting or support a colleague where useful. Taking initiative can be positive when it helps the team, but it should not mean ignoring your main responsibilities just to find more interesting work.
Should I tell my manager what I want to learn during my internship?
Yes. Setting a few realistic goals can help you get more from the experience. You might want to improve a technical skill, understand how a professional team operates or complete a useful piece of work. If appropriate, mention these goals to your manager and ask whether there are responsibilities that could support your development. Stay open to other learning as well. Your internship may give you valuable experience that you did not expect when you started, so use your goals as a guide rather than treating them as a fixed checklist.
Should I stay in touch with colleagues after my internship?
Yes. It can make sense to stay in touch with colleagues you worked with closely or had useful conversations with. A few genuine contacts are better than sending requests to everyone you met. If you connect online, remind the person where you worked together or what you discussed. You can also thank people before you leave and keep suitable contact details where this feels natural. The aim is to maintain useful professional relationships, not to collect as many contacts as possible before your internship ends.
What if my internship makes me realise I do not want that career?
Treat that as useful information rather than a failed experience. Think about which parts of the work you disliked and whether the issue was the career itself, the organisation or the particular tasks you were given. Note what you enjoyed as well, as this can help you narrow your next search. The internship can still strengthen future applications through the skills and examples you gained. Learning that a career does not suit you can save you from making a less informed choice when you apply for graduate roles later.
