Deadlines for a summer internship in 2022 are fast approaching. If you are still on the fence about applying for one, it’s time to make up your mind.
Summer internships are available in a whole range of sectors and almost all big organisations offer one. No matter what course you are on, there will be a summer internship out there for you. (See here to search for summer internship opportunities in your chosen industry.)
Internships usually last between 6 and 10 weeks over the summer before your final year of university – quite a commitment! So before going through the application process you may be questioning if it is worth it and whether you are willing to sacrifice just a big portion of your summer.
There are many great things you can get from an internship. To help you decide, here are my top 5 reasons to apply.
1. Do I like this job?
You might think you know what career you want to go into but it’s difficult to know for sure until you actually try it for real. A summer internship in 2022 is a perfect way to try before you buy.
You can get first hand experience of the working environment, type of work and skills required to be successful in your chosen field. You can also ask your new colleagues about possible career progression and top tips to get hired after you finish your degree.
A summer internship also gives you an insight into what your post university life might be like. What it is like working full time, what type of people you’ll be working with and what social activities you might expect.
If you enjoy the internship then great! You can move on to apply for grad jobs in that area, confident that you will be making the right choice. But more importantly, if you don’t enjoy it, you know that you should go down a different route after graduation.
2. Fast track your way to a grad job!
If you impress during your internship, the company may offer you a fast track route onto their graduate programme for the following year. You could literally go into your final year, with a graduate job already secured.
Even if you still want to explore other options, this is a great way to take off some of the pressure of finding a job in your final year.
If your summer internship doesn’t offer you a fast track route, the skills you will have learnt will still massively help you in other job applications.
It can often be difficult to find good examples from university to evidence skills in interviews or applications. A summer internship gives you a different experience to draw from. It also demonstrates to potential employers your work ethic and capability.
In addition, if you need help with your applications, you can reach out to mentors from your summer internship for advice from someone on the inside. This can put you at a big advantage.
3. Money $$
Not all internships are paid, but there are many that are. And if they do pay, they will usually pay as well as or better than a standard student summer job.
If you were planning on working all summer in your usual part time job, doing a summer internship in 2022 can be a great alternative. You will earn as much if not more and gain valuable experience at the same time.
It’s not always this simple though. Understandably some people will not live near a place offering a summer internship. You may have to pay commuting costs or rent in a different city to get the opportunity. (When I did a summer internship in London during my degree, my pay only just covered my rent and expenses.)
However, if you are lucky enough to be able to cut these costs down, you might find you can save a good amount from your internship.
4. Meet new people!
Summer internships can be great fun! You will likely start with a cohort of other interns who are all at a similar age/ point in life. While it is important to take the internship seriously, there will still be lots of opportunities for socialising.
You might be invited to after work drinks, away days and there could even be special organised social events for interns. This is a great opportunity to put yourself out of your comfort zone and meet some different people.
In particular if you are doing your summer internship in 2022 in a different city, you get a great opportunity to experience this new place during your internship.
5. Learn new skills!
Doing a summer internship in 2022 will help you learn lots of new skills. While some of these skills might build on what you have done before at university, it is likely that many of the things you do will be completely new to you.
You might use different programmes, write in different styles or be asked to take the lead on unfamiliar projects. You will learn about a new business area and pick up the relevant jargon.
There will also be small things you can pick up like how best to use Microsoft Outlook, how to take minutes in meetings and how to navigate office small talk. Although small, these things will give you a head start in your career after your graduate.
*
It’s great to take advantage of a summer internship in 2022. You will be able to learn new skills, try out a potential career and meet new people.
Internships can be competitive to get on, so don’t be disheartened if you are not able to secure one. There are plenty of other ways you can gain skills and you 100% do not need to do one to secure a graduate job.
Check out our post here on how to get a grad job with no experience.
