How Important Are Internships Really?

Sponsored by City, University of London

On top of studying for assignments and exams, and your extracurricular activities, the last thing on your mind while you’re at university is likely to be the possibility of more work. But what if you knew it could improve your employment prospects, pay you a real wage, improve your network connections, and show you how a professional workplace operates?

Mandatory and optional internships and work placements are built into the curriculum for many degree programs, particularly those of a vocational nature. But they’re not offered by every university. To find out what a placement can offer you in the long-run, we’ve teamed up with City, University of London.  

When considering where to study it’s a good idea to look at whether the courses you’re interested in offer placements or internships which can help enhance your knowledge and understanding of working in industry.

For those who are interested in pursuing professions in the healthcare sector such as nursing, midwifery and other health allied subjects, you’ll find that clinical work placements are an integral part of the curriculum to ensure you gain the knowledge and skills required for practicing once you graduate.

Internships are also a great way to stand out from the competitive job market after you graduate – something which Kishan, a BSc International Political Economy student at City realized when he undertook a full-time internship at management consultancy firm, Evalucom during the summer of 2019. This internship, based in London, was arranged for him via City’s Micro-Placements Program.

“They [employers] want real-life experience and that is why I chose to do a Micro-Placement, so that I could improve the strength of my application when I apply for graduate schemes later on in the year,” explained Kishan.

“We have entered a time where getting a job for people our age is becoming increasingly more competitive and job security is much worse than it used to be. A Micro-Placement is a really good way for you to stand out from the crowd.”

City’s Micro-Placement Program which launched in 2016, has gone on to help almost 2,000 students secure placements with a wide range of London-based employers – including those in the public sector, law, information technology services, publishers, as well as educational consultancy.