Finding the internship for you
Thinking of applying to an internship but not sure what you want to do? That’s okay! Read our top tips below on what you can do to make your internship search easier.
- Be open minded – an internship is a great way to try different sectors, even if it may not seem relevant to what you’re studying. Explore and be open minded – you may fall in love with a sector you never even considered!
- Consider the skills you’d like to develop. You may want to consider your strengths and weaknesses here: what are you really good at? Is there something that you could improve on? Try to find an internship that challenges you and focuses on developing a relevant skill that you’ve not quite mastered yet.
- Think about the transferrable skills on offer – you may not find an internship that is perfect in every way. Each internship is a learning experience and exposes you to so many amazing transferable skills that will be great on a CV. So, don’t be disheartened if you don’t find an internship that’s 100% what you want to do – embrace it and learn from it as it can help you get to where you want to be.
- Come to careers – did you know you can book an appointment with one of our careers consultants? They can help you if you get stuck or just want some advice. Book an appointment on MyJobsOnline (MJO).
- Attend a RIS Information Session – these happen throughout the year, both virtually and in-person. They include information on RIS, what to expect, tips on applying and so on. Find all the sessions on MJO.
Acing your application
The application process for all RIS internships is to complete a short application form on MJO. We believe that internships are all about learning and trying new things – and that means applying to roles you may not have any previous experience in. We really want to ensure the application process reflects this and focuses a lot more on things like soft skills, passions, and interests as opposed to years’ of experience.
RIS applications are also anonymous which we hope will provide a more level playing field – we want your skills and passions to shine through first and foremost. All applications ask the following 3 questions only:
- What knowledge, skills or experiences do you have that are relevant for this position? (this can be from your personal, academic, or professional life)
- What excites you about this internship in particular?
- Any other relevant information you’d like to share (optional)
Before you start your application on MJO, you may want to write your answers in a Word Document first. MS Word will check your grammar for you and highlight anything that you misspelled so it’s a good idea to use a Word Document to type out your answers before copy & pasting into MJO. You can also use Grammarly.
If you’re unsure how to go about answering the questions, you can always book an appointment with a careers consultant to discuss. We’ve also included some hints and tips below on each question and you can always come to a RIS Information Session.
1. What knowledge, skills or experiences do you have that are relevant for this position? (this can be from your personal, academic, or professional life)
Remember to read the job description carefully and identify the key skills they’re looking for. They may bullet point the following skills as desirable, or ‘ideal to have’:
- Strong inter-personal skills and ability to work well as part of a team
- Good communication skills (verbal and written)
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to assist on projects, manage tasks and prioritise individual workload.
Can you think of examples where you have demonstrated these skills?
Your examples do not need to be from a previous job – think of group projects you were involved in, any volunteering you’ve done, skills you’ve gained from your degree etc. You may have gained great inter-personal skills from that society you’re part of, or have demonstrable communication skills because you had to do a presentation in front of your seminar group of 20!
2. What excites you about this internship in particular?
Make sure you keep this section tailored and tell the employer why you are applying to them and their internship specifically. Maybe you’re interested in the sector, or the position itself is something that really excites you.
For example, I may be applying for a Marketing Internship with a charity. I may mention about my passion for designing and the different design software I like to use. I may also research the company’s website to get a better idea on the different projects they are working on. I might find one project that is really interesting to me so I would mention that here.
3. Any other relevant information you’d like to share (optional)
This is an optional box – you can fill it out if there is something you really want to include but struggled to include in the first two questions.
Additional Resources:
- You can book an appointment with a careers consultant who will be able to offer additional support such as checking your application form
-dedicated page to help you complete Check out our application forms
Preparing for Your Interview
If your application has been shortlisted for an interview, you will get an automatic email from MJO letting you know that you have passed the application stage.
Remember that applications are anonymised – this means that once an employer indicates that they’d like to interview you, the RIS Manager will share your student contact details with them. The employer will then contact you directly to arrange an interview. If an employer contacts you and you no longer wish to attend the interview (perhaps you already secured an internship at that point), it is your responsibility to let the employer know you will not be able to make it and thank them for their time. Do not ignore their interview invite as it’s always good to keep relationships warm with employers – you never know, you may apply to their role again in the future so you don’t want to hinder any future opportunities.
Interviews can take place remotely (often by phone, Zoom, or MS Teams) or in-person. Each employer will have their own preference and will let you know how the interview will take place. If they did not mention where the interview is, always double check with them.
Top Tips:
- Know the logistics – make sure you double check timings, dates, locations
- Research the company and familiarise yourself with what they do – they might ask you what you know about them in the interview!
- Read through the job description carefully and identify the key skills they are looking for – they are likely to ask you to demonstrate these
- Once you’ve identified the key skills they’re likely to ask you about, write yourself a list of ready examples you can use (e.g. a time where you’ve demonstrated excellent communication skills). This will save you trying to think of examples on the spot!
- Practise your answers with friends and family – this will help with the nerves and should hopefully make you feel more confident as you will have prepared answers
- Book an appointment with a careers consultant to discuss your interview
Interview Resources
• Preparing for Your Interview
• Types of Interviews
• Interview Questions
Additional Resources
• You can book an appointment with a careers consultant who will be able to offer additional support such as decision making, application form checks, career planning, and everything else careers related!
• Explore all our digital careers tools and resources - helping you with a wide range of career needs.
• View and book careers events through MyJobsOnline