Internships whilst studying

10 Top Tips on how to secure internships whilst studying

My name is Tasneem and currently, I am a final year Accounting and Finance BSc student at Swansea University.

I have secured 3 internships whilst studying my degree, which has helped me to further develop my skills and knowledge. I could not have done it without the tremendous support I received from the employability team, my tutor, family, and friends.

Looking back to when I was in my first year at University, I was clueless about employability in general. I wish I had the best tips and guidance in one source to help me to secure internships. For this reason, I am sharing with you 10 top tips to secure internships from my experience as a student.

1. Get involved in any opportunities that help build your CV

A great CV which showcases all your skills and achievements will make you stand out from the rest. For this, you need to proactively seek opportunities to further develop your skills. At University there are many ways to get involved in extracurricular activities. You can:

• Join societies and become a committee member of a Society- Being on the committee of a Society shows employers that you can get along with others and take responsibilities. I joined the Swansea Women in Business Society, and the Investment and Finance Society at Freshers Fair. Also, you can sign up to join societies at the Student’s Union on campus, or online at the society’s website.

• Become a Student Ambassador- I passionately promote Swansea University to potential new students through my Senior Student Ambassador role. This involves representing the University at events, giving campus tours, talking to prospective students about the University, studies, and more. Before this role, I could not approach strangers and talk to them, and now I enjoy doing that. It has greatly developed my communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills. 

• Become a student rep – As a student rep, you will be voicing the feedback from students in your course to the staff and lecturers within the department you study at. For more details read the student rep information guide.

•  Ask about any voluntary opportunities – Discovery is a student-led charity based in Swansea. Become a volunteer and find out more on their website. Sometimes voluntary opportunities are emailed to students. You could ask the employability team for any local voluntary opportunities too.
• Finding a part-time job will also strengthen your skills and chances of securing an internship.

2. Let people know that you are seeking an internship.

Not all internships are advertised online. Especially SMEs and start-ups who may need help in their businesses but will not formally post a position. I let everyone know that I was seeking work experience, which is how I secured my first internship. My father’s friend who is a business owner took me on for a 2-week Accounting & Finance (voluntary) Internship. I developed financial and administration skills learned to use QuickBooks (software) and adapted to an office environment.

3. Book an appointment with the Employability team.

The employability teams within Swansea University are very friendly and helpful. After each appointment, I felt more confident and prepared for the next step in my application process. They supported me in my quest for work experience through guidance and gave me the idea of working abroad. My second internship was for a month at The Arabian Gulf Oil Company in Libya. I developed an in-depth understanding of the budget and cost control of oil production and exploration activities. I also got the opportunity to use my Arabic language in the workplace. Employers value work experience abroad as it showcases your ability to work in different environments, and ability to communicate in other languages.

 4. Stay organised to fit in time for submitting applications alongside your studies; within the deadlines.

As a student, we have many important dates such as assessments, celebrations, etc. The best advice that I received from my tutor, is to create an excel spreadsheet or a table to track my internship applications and apply before the deadline. I have illustrated it below to make it easy for you to copy. It helps to visualise your applications all in one document, and remember the deadline for the next step, whether it be an online test or interview.

5. Attend networking events.

The University hosts networking/ employability events for students to meet employers. I had the opportunity to ask specific questions to the employers that I was interested in. This enhanced my understanding of the company, the role I wanted to apply to, and I received invaluable tips about the application process from students who were hired on a placement year.

6. Tailor your cover letter to the job description.

If the internship requires a cover letter, make sure that you have read the job specification to match your skills to it.

7. Proofread your CV and cover letter.

Pay attention to detail in your CV and cover letter. I use Grammarly to double-check that my spelling, punctuation, and grammar is correct. 

8. Send your CV to businesses and create your own opportunities.

My third internship was secured by emailing my CV out to local companies. A lot of the time they did not reply, but I then got offered a 3-month internship at Swansea University’s Medical School in Finance and Marketing. It has benefitted me in developing my Microsoft Excel skills to do financial forecasting, create content for websites, and much more.

9. Practise makes perfect.

I was extremely nervous for my first interview. The employability team supported me in researching the company and preparing answers to typical interview questions. They helped build my confidence by listening to the presentation I prepared as part of the job interview. I received feedback to improve, and I presented well. I also asked friends and family to do mock interviews for practice.

10. Ask for feedback.

I have not passed all my interviews, and that is normal. I ask for feedback after an interview, because it is beneficial to understand how to improve my technique for the future. If you are rejected for a job it just means that the job role and company were not the best fit for you. Something else better awaits!