The University of Kent Careers Advisory Service Summer Vacation Work - Internships and Beyond 23rd...

The University of KentCareers Advisory Service

Summer Vacation Work -Internships and Beyond

23rd November 2011

The slides from this presentation are available at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

What is an internship? Short-term position, usually in summer

vacation Career-related Usually (but not always) restricted to

penultimate-year students Structured Aims to give a taste of the work you

would be doing as a graduate recruit – and to encourage you to apply in final year!

Why do an internship? Gives you better idea of career

options Increases business awareness Improves your chances of being

offered a graduate position with that employer

Makes you more attractive to other employers

Demonstrates work-related skills

Where can I get an internship?

Where can I get an internship?

www.ratemyplacement.com

Some employers who offer internships: Manufacturing and services

BP http://bit.ly/vJOIhN

IBM www-05.ibm.com/employment/uk/extreme-blue/index.html

Nestlé www.nestlecareers.co.uk/html/graduate/interns-nestle-jobs.htm

Procter & Gamble www.pgcareers.com

Shell http://bit.ly/bhnbLX

Unilever http://bit.ly/rHO3Vt

Student experiences“The role entailed a 12 week project based on improving the management and storage of ‘changeparts’ – literally mechanical parts of the line that require changing when the line switches from one product to another. My job was to increase the efficiency of the changeover by assessing the current changepart storage system. By reducing the time for changeover, line efficiency is increased and production can run for longer”.

Unilever Supply Chain Management Intern

Some employers who offer internships : Finance

Deutsche Bank www.db.com/careers/content/en/analyst_internship_programs.html

Ernst & Young www.ey.com/UK/en/Careers/Students/Programs/Penultimate-year

Financial Services Authority www.fsagraduates.com/join-a-programme/summer-internships.aspx

HSBC http://jobs.hsbc.co.uk/graduates/internships/default.aspx

Mercer http://uk.mercer.com/graduatecareers

Pricewaterhousecoopers www.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/student/careers/undergraduate/insight-internship.jhtml

Student experiences …

“The tasks I was able to complete within just a few weeks ranged from running charts, creating and updating quarterly reports and summarising the latest economic and investment research for colleagues ”

(Mercer Investment Consulting intern)

Student experiences …

“I did an internship at the branch in Reading and had real responsibilities from day one. In my second week, I was organising team meetings. By the end of my stay there, I had been placed in charge of customer satisfaction”

(HSBC summer intern, now Executive Management trainee)

Some employers who offer internships: LawFor listings of firms offering law placements see: Law Careers Net www.lawcareers.net Target Work Experience Law http://targetjobs.co.uk/law

Most law firms are keen to recruit graduates in subjects other than law, but non-law students may not be eligible to apply for a vacation scheme until their final year.

Student experiences … “I helped to compile a report for the

Competitions Commission and had to do some research on pubs! In the commercial department I helped draft some terms and conditions and attended client meetings .. the work I was given was always appropriate for someone who had not done a law degree”

Some employers who offer internships : Research

Roke Manor Research www.roke.co.uk/jobs/undergraduates.php

DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) https://www.dstl.gov.uk/pages/158

Universities, e.g. Birkbeck www.bbk.ac.uk/biology/prospective-students/internships, Nottingham http://bit.ly/bkgw5j, Open University www.open.ac.uk/cepsar/opportunities/summer-internships

MBDA www.mbdacareers.co.uk/graduateProfile.jsp?g=8 Biosciences

www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/ftp/events/dlforum07/studentships.pdf

Physics http://bit.ly/v7S4yz

Student experiences … “In my project, I cloned the Dyt1 gene

to make a fusion protein GST, expressed it in bacteria and attempted to purify it. I learnt many new skills, including a formal course in confocal microscopy that will help me directly in the future in a career in science. ”

(Summer student, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK)

Student experiences …

“My role as Research Assistant involved gathering information about the type of people who attended the Youthspace mental health clinics, in order to find out how feasible it would be to recruit service users for future research on psychosis. This involved liaising with Youthspace clinicians, researchers and psychologists. I also assisted on a research project on Early Onset Psychosis, which involved conducting statistical

analysis and literature reviews” Student Intern, Birmingham University

Student experiences

“The whole of my academic life has been focused on laboratory work. This was the first time I had to present the benefits of the product already developed in the laboratory in simple semi-technical terms to the consumers. This is a kind of work I always wanted to do which involves linking of ‘science’ to the consumer”.

Procter & Gamble R&D Intern

Some employers who offer internships : Public and voluntary sectors

Civil Service Diversity Summer Programme http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/Summer-Diversity-Internships/Home/

Transport for London www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/graduates/612.asp

British Red Cross www.redcross.org.uk/internships

Oxfam www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/volunteer/interns.html

Student experiences …My internship involved working on a project about the factors affecting staff and volunteer recruitment and retention. Coming from an arts background as a student, working on the project was initially very challenging but I soon got to grips with it. I also become involved in a project in promoting student fundraising with the Youth Strategy Team, allowing me to build on the volunteering experiences and knowledge I had from University.Former Oxfam intern, now on a graduate HR management scheme

Some more employers who offer internships – or other work experience:

Accenture www.accenture.com/ukschemes BBC – all areas, from production to finance

http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/work-experience/ Centrica www.centrica.com/index.asp?pageid=952

Four Communications www.fourcommunications.com/jobs_internships.php

Penguin Publishing http://gs12.globalsuccessor.com/fe/tpl_penguin01.asp?newms=info04

Metaswitch Networks www.metaswitch.com/careers/internships/undergraduate/

John Lewis www.jlpjobs.com/graduates/graduates-john-lewis-placements.htm

Student experiences …

“You are treated as a manager through the internship and therefore get to do nearly everything a John Lewis manager would do on a daily basis. The more responsibility you ask for the more you get … I had my own small section of the shop floor and was responsible for its sales figures and for coming up with any innovative solutions to problems in that area”

Student experiences …“I did a couple of weeks work experience on Dragons' Den while I was still at university and I got the chance to do a variety of things. I dealt with applications, sought free press to advertise we were looking for applicants, looked for new entrepreneurs on the internet, and learned how to use a DV camera to film auditions (something I had never done before because I hadn't done a practical media course). After I graduated, they rang me to come back to do a couple of weeks casual work for Mastermind and this has since been extended “

BBC runner

Other career areas Not all potential graduate recruiters

offer “internships” … … although many do offer career-

related work experience … even though this may not be

advertised widely (or advertised at all)

… and could be unpaid

The Creative Career Search

To get work experience in advertising, TV, film, journalism, public relations, etc

… you need to make the first approach

… and to be persistent See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/CJ.htm

for more advice and information

Getting a work placement is just the beginning …

When you do obtain work experience, be willing to help out no matter how challenging or menial the task.

Talk to everyone, and get yourself known so that they remember you.

Be yourself, friendly and approachable

‘STEP CLASSIC’ PROGRAMME www.step.org.uk  - placements in

small/medium organisations in all sectors Offers project work that will help these

organisations to develop. 8 week summer placement programme for

2nd year undergraduates. Pay: about £210 pw

1400 projects, open to science, technology and engineering students

Will launch in January

Student experiences …Jenny researched the food sector to develop a new snack product, tested recipes and successfully presented the idea to a major company supplying Marks & Spencer.

“It was a steep learning curve as I didn’t have a background in business or food science but I won second prize in the Shell Step national final for the most enterprising student”

Finding Local Employers Employers often prefer local

graduates for placements: No accommodation worries May want to work in the area after

graduation Kent – includes KentGrads database

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/kentopps.htm

Elsewhere in the UK www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesgen.htm

How to apply CV and covering letter – speculative

applications and small companies. Application form – usually online for major

graduate recruiters You need to put as much time and

effort into applying for an internship as you would to apply for a permanent position

For help see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm

Finding out about internships and other summer work experience Careers Advisory Service Vacancy

Database www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs Speculative applications Graduate directories and websites e.g.

Prospects.ac.uk and Target http://targetjobs.co.uk

National Council for Work Experience www.work-experience.org

RateMyPlacement www.ratemyplacement.co.uk

#ratemyplacement

What happens if I want an internship but can’t get one?

Don’t panic! Any work experience can help to develop your

people, teamwork or organising skills, or just make your CV more interesting

For example: work with children; sales work; work abroad; voluntary work

Getting a lower-level position in an organisation can help you to get a different perspective and make contacts

Use open days, careers fairs and events to get an insight into your chosen sector

What will employers think?

“Volunteering is well regarded: candidates are given a higher score within the recruitment process if they have done volunteering” (Large accountancy firm)

“We are aware that students can’t always afford to spend a month doing unpaid work experience or shadowing, therefore we value other activities like stacking supermarket shelves” (Law firm)

Other points Get actively involved in

University life, so that you have evidence of teamwork, organising, leadership etc. skills for your CV

Apply early – closing dates for the most popular employers are often in December or January

Duty Careers Adviser A Duty Careers Adviser is available

to help with queries between 10.30 am - 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 - 5.00 p.m. every weekday.

No appointment needed - just drop in.

Where to find the Careers Service

Opening Hours:

9-5, Mon - Fri