Don’t wait until you graduate to start looking for quality work experience. Feedback from employers and universities shows you need to be doing this while you’re studying.

Last month we talked to a range of UK employers about how they viewed the need for work experience. This month we talked to some of the UK’s top universities about the benefits of a quality summer 2010 internship and how this enhances not just future job prospects, but can lead to higher degree marks in years to come.

From talking to UK employers in October we heard that work experience along with a qualification was essential, a degree alone is not enough. We also heard that International work experience was seen as a bonus and something to distinguish or differentiate yourself from your competition (other students).

If you missed this article you can catch up on what UK employers said here:

Summer 2011 Internships – What do Employers Think

Why is relevant work experience so important?

But hang on, we hear you cry, I already have work experience. That may be true but how relevant is it? We see hundreds of CV’s each month and we see the same thing 95% of the time, lack of relevant work experience.

The type of work experience we see usually is serving tables at a pub or scanning groceries at a supermarket, nothing relevant to the degree a student is studying, or the profession they want to go into. Certainly not something that jumps off the page to graduate employers.

What are the benefits of getting your work experience early?

Intern Options talked with a range of university careers and placement teams on this subject. Suki Clayer, Placement Manager at De Montfort University believes the biggest benefits of gaining quality work experience relevant to your studies while you are still at university are:

1. Relevant work experience on your CV can make it easier to gain employment for your sandwich placement
2. To test ideas and try subject areas you are interested in
3. To see if that is the career area you really want to work in (rather than testing this when you graduate)

Lindy Blair, Placement Manager for School of Management, University of Surrey had this to say about the importance of students gaining relevant summer work experience in their degree subject area after the first year:

“Probably the greatest benefits we see for our students is applying their course work to the real world of business and especially applying concepts that are often hard to grasp when taught in a classroom environment. The university sees improvement in students’ attitude and approach to studies and there is a real link between students that have undertaken relevant work experience and higher degree marks when they return to their studies”.

At Intern Options we realise there needs to be a choice made between working in a paid job to save money over summer OR getting real world quality work experience in your area of study to put you ahead of your class. A sacrifice is needed in today’s world and the earlier a student can make this, the more beneficial it will be to you.

Why international work experience?

In a recent article on the BBC website titled “Life in a harsh jobs market” they report that with unemployment in the UK reaching 2 million and half of employers not looking to take on graduates or school leavers in the coming months, young people looking for work should think about spending time abroad.

“We are but one country in the global landscape. There are lots of countries round the world where GDP is growing not shrinking… don’t constrain yourself to thinking about the UK.”

Reference: BBC website “Life in a harsh jobs market”

One of the biggest reasons students don’t search out work experience opportunities in their second or third year, is they don’t believe they have studied for long enough for employers to want to take them on.

Louisa, a graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University has been placed into a fantastic position in Sydney, Australia in Fashion Marketing. Louisa had heard how hard it was to get a job as a graduate with a degree, so never thought she could land a proper job in marketing or fashion as an undergraduate.

Can I really get a good summer internship in my second year?

Jon from Intern Options said: “I don’t think students realise just how good the positions are that Intern Options can place them into, and how early… when we talk to students about the type of jobs we can place them into any time after their first year of studies, students are amazed”.

In Australia, specifically Sydney and Melbourne there are some excellent summer internships to be had working in some very good positions.

What kind of work experience can I get over the summer?

Holly from the University of Bristol who was placed into Sydney for a 16 week internship had this to say about her experience:

“In my first week they threw me in at the deep end doing things I’d never learnt before,” she says. “It was good, because I’ve learnt so much in a really short space of time. It was kind of nerve-wracking taking on jobs I wasn’t familiar with, but it’s the best way.”

To see example company and position descriptions in your subject area, click through to the Summer 2011 Internships page for full details.

To talk through the kind of internship we can look at for you in 2010, or if you have any questions on Australia or New Zealand, pick up the phone and call the experts on 0207 353 7699.

Previous articles in the Summer 2011 Internships series

This is the fourth article in the Summer 2011 Internship series, if you missed the first three articles, don’t fear you can check them out here:

Article One – Summer 2011 Internships – Where to Start

Article Two – Summer 2011 Internships – How to Budget

Article Three – Summer 2011 Internships – What’s the Big Deal

Article Four – Summer 2011 Internships – What do Employers Think

A recent survey conducted by Intern Options found that 39% of students/ graduates were worried that their CV was not good enough to get them a job

So, what do you do next??? With 2009 almost over, many will be looking ahead to 2010 or late 2009 and getting that first bit of quality PR and Media experience on their CV‘s.

To see what PR or Media Internships are available now check out the PR and Media Internships page for company and position descriptions.

1. What do Student’s and Graduates have to say about this?

The second highest response in the student/ graduate survey asking “what students top worries were when looking for an internship or graduate job”:

I don’t know where to start looking for a job – 30%

The first question most graduates ask us is – What kind of job should I apply for or what kind of job should I aim for as my first PR or Media job?

At Intern Options we say aim high!

The main reason the Sydney Internship programme is unpaid, is so we can get you some fantastic PR work experience on your CV, over a short period of time (3-4 months).  Not just that but it will be international work experience that will jump off your CV to employers!

Three reasons for you to look at a Sydney or Melbourne PR/ Media Internship:

1)     Your first job in PR or Media won’t be making the tea or doing the photocopying, you will be getting stuck into some really good public relations work, supervised by media professionals

2)     Your PR or Media internship will be confirmed before you leave home, you will know who you’re working for, what internship duties you will be doing and where you will be working.

3)      You will walk away with quality work experience on your CV and know what area of PR you want to build your career in with your first step on the ladder.

Student Feedback:

Holly a University of Bristol graduate recently completed a three month placement in Sydney. “In my first week they threw me in at the deep end doing things I’d never learnt before,” she says. “It was good, because I’ve learnt so much in a really short space of time. It was kind of nerve-wracking taking on jobs I wasn’t familiar with, but it’s the best way.”

So what to do next?

1)     Jump onto the PR and Media Internships page and check out the company and position descriptions we have on offer now.  Most of these companies we have had interns in before and they all loved their time there and left with some great Public Relations experience on their CV’s

2)     Have a read of this article Top Internship questions your Parents will ask

3)     To find out what kind of internship you would be eligible for click through to the Sydney and Melbourne Internships page and under the how to apply section, download the CV and cover letter template, fill these in and email them to info@internoptions.com

4)     Jon from Intern Options will then get back to you with some feedback on potential PR and Media jobs and where to go from there.

Any questions or comments we would love to hear them, just put your first name, email address (won’t be shown) and your question/ comment and we’ll answer it as soon as possible.

This article will give you some food for thought and  start off your research, so you will have plenty of time to find a really good summer internship in 2010!

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If you’re a US applicant please click here:

Summer 2010 Internships for US college students/ graduates

Firstly what is a summer internship and why should I do one?

The major reason is experience, experience, experience.  Anyone reading the papers these days would have seen article after article on the lack graduate jobs, on average 50 people applying for one job.  In some industries like finance, accounting, marketing, PR etc that will be much higher.

There have been a few articles lately on lack of graduate jobs:

BBC article: Graduates ‘face record unemployment’

BBC article: Graduates going to great lengths to get ahead

So how do you differentiate yourself from your classmates, or the other thousands of students at UK universities who will be graduating with you, with the same degree on paper?

Well you might have guessed it already, work experience on your CV.  A summer internship is a great way of getting some very good international work experience on your CV.  This will not only greatly improve your chance of getting that all important graduate job, it will lead to you applying your theory, learnt on your course over the next year and give you the skills to shine in a job interview.

Paid Summer Internships or Unpaid Summer Internships?

Well the first preference in this area is always to a paid internship.  Obviously you want to be paid right? Well have a think about the other side of the coin for a second, I hear you, you can’t work for free!

BUT, the goal is quality work experience on your CV isn’t it?

The unpaid position you will be offered will be:

• Customised – so will be in the area you want experience in, if you studying marketing then you could be placed into a sports marketing internship or an events marketing internship or fashion marketing internship

• Higher starting position – much better starting position than you could walk into in a paid role with your job confirmed before you leave the UK
• Focused on your Learning – your not working for a wage, you’re working to learn and get quality experience, so this is the focus rather than the “are you worth the £15,000 salary we are paying you”.  So there won’t be any making tea or doing the photocopying, you will be getting stuck in to some really good work, in your career area.

This article will give you some food for thought and hopefully start you thinking about how you could get that first bit of really good experience on your CV next summer.

For more information on planning your 2010 summer internship, or to talk to the experts on Australia & New Zealand, see the 2011 summer internships page.

On there you will see dedicated pages for internships in all professional areas from fashion, finance, accounting, events, design, film and many more.  You will also see company and position descriptions under each industry to help you start.

So if you have just started university or are in your second year, have a think about what work experience you want to get on your CV next year and get in touch with Intern Options to have a chat with someone who has lived and worked in Australia (they know).

To see example company and position descriptions in your subject area, click through to the Summer 2011 Internships page for full details.

To talk through the kind of internship we can look at for you in 2010, or if you have any questions on Australia or New Zealand, pick up the phone and call the experts on 0207 353 7699.

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Articles in the Summer 2010 Internships series

This is the fourth article in the Summer 2010 Internship series, if you missed the first three articles, don’t fear you can check them out here:

Article One – Summer 2011 Internships – Where to Start

Article Two – Summer 2011 Internships – How to Budget

Article Three – Summer 2011 Internships – What’s the Big Deal

Article Four – Summer 2011 Internships – What do Employers Think

Article Five – Summer 2011 Internships – Get Work Experience Early

One last thing, check out this article, it’s a goodie!

Top Internship Questions Your Parents Will Ask

Cheers for now

Jon – Intern Options