What is an internship and what are the benefits?

What is an internship and what are the benefits?

Internships are one trimester in duration (12-14 weeks), worth 30 credits, and students can opt to apply for an internship in either the first trimester (September to December) or second trimester (January to May) in stage 3 of the programme. Students will be assessed on their internship in a number of different ways, which are set out in the (opens in a new window)module descriptor.

Apply Your Skills to a Work-Based Context: Doing an internship with an internship host will help you further develop the skills and competencies you have learned throughout your degree so far. An internship will also give you the opportunity to apply these skills to a real-world work environment. An internship facilitates the further develop of skills such as: Expertise in content analysis and research; Succinct, persuasive and creative written and verbal communication; Creative problem solving and collaboration skills; Information management skills and expertise in distilling and synthesizing information; Ability to identify connections across complex problems; Conceptual storytelling; Fluency across languages; Time management skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Employability: The academic and critical skills and competencies Arts and Humanities students gain from their disciplines are highly sought by employers and are very transferable to the work environment. The internship will make you more employable after graduation, as well as allowing you to meet people and begin building your professional network. Research suggests that 31% of graduate vacancies are filled by graduates who have completed work experience in the organisation (High Fliers Research, 2018), so internships can be an excellent stepping stone to a graduate job after your degree.

Recruitment: Enhance your practical skills in applying for vacancies and for developing your own opportunities.

Contribute to a Workplace: Bring new perspectives and new ideas to your workplace; assist in the completion of specific projects and more generally enhance the activities of your hosts by positively contributing and providing value to your host’s objectives.

Enhance Practical Workplace Skills: Internships allow you the opportunity to develop your personal organizational skills including time management, the ability to follow diverse instructions, the ability to prioritize, the achievement of task-specific deadlines, and the capacity to foster accountability and individual responsibility.