Danny:
I was thinking, when I finish my degree, I'd like to do a short work placement with a company to get some experience.
Sarah:
Oh, an internship you mean?
Danny:
If I'm applying for a job in the future, after my placement, then the company would say, OK, this guy is organised and can clearly think ahead and decide what he wants to do, and that could give me an advantage over other candidates for the same job, even if they've got more experience than me in other areas.
Sarah:
You interested in an internship?
Danny:
Definitely, but it'd have to be with a huge corporation.
Danny:
Because they tend to be multinational, possibly with openings for interns in offices across the globe, so I could choose where to go rather than staying in the UK.
Sarah:
But wouldn't you just end up working with people you never see again?
Danny:
Maybe, but internships aren't only about networking, are they?
Danny:
I was glad when our tutor told us about some of the agencies that can arrange internships for us.
Sarah:
Yes, but there are so many that it might be hard to choose one, especially because most work in all sectors rather than specialising in a specific field.
Danny:
Exactly, and most just say exactly the same on their websites.
Sarah:
Hard to tell them apart.
Danny:
So, I reckon the way to go is to reach out to someone who arranged a placement through them?
Sarah:
Right, and ask them what the agency was really like.
Sarah:
The tutor said she can help put us in touch with some recent graduates for that.
Danny:
Having said that, my cousin, right, she qualified as an accountant and then got a placement in a construction company in the Middle East.
Sarah:
Doing accounting, presumably?
Danny:
The thing is, though, she didn't bother registering with any agencies.
Danny:
She just went straight to the HR people in the firm and asked for a placement with them.
Sarah:
A speculative application, then.
Danny:
Yeah, she got one.
Danny:
So, I might just do what she did.
Sarah:
Another option is a remote internship.
Danny:
What, an online internship?
Danny:
Where you never actually go into the office?
Sarah:
So you could do it one day a week, while doing your degree.
Danny:
But if you never meet your colleagues or enter a work environment, I can't see the purpose of a remote internship.
Sarah:
Actually, I think you're missing the point.
Sarah:
Could be a great way to test it for a while, you know, working with a company.
Sarah:
And once the initial internship is over, then, if you're happy with the company, you could go on to a face-to-face internship with them as the next step.
Danny:
Well, I suppose that's true.
Danny:
I think it would be useful to review what the tutor said about the various internship agencies.
Sarah:
Yes, they've all got their unique selling points.
Sarah:
Let's start with Interntastic.
Danny:
Weren't they the ones who pride themselves on sorting out the practicalities before the internship starts?
Sarah:
Yes, even the airport transfer if you move somewhere.
Sarah:
So the intern doesn't have to lift a finger until it starts.
Danny:
And Total Internships, the one whose fees aren't as high as most of the other agencies.
Sarah:
The tutor did say, though, that we should expect to pay a substantial sum for a decent placement to be arranged.
Danny:
So perhaps Total Internships don't provide such a high standard of service.
Sarah:
And they don't seem to have such a strong reputation either.
Danny:
You may be right there.
Sarah:
Unlike IMC Group, they're really highly thought of, aren't they?
Danny:
Seem to be head and shoulders above the rest.
Sarah:
Quite pricey, though.
Danny:
Well, hopefully you get what you pay for with them.
Danny:
What about Interns International?
Sarah:
Well, while the other organisations are vague about whether we'd get paid or not, these guys make it a policy that interns are not just there to provide free labour.
Sarah:
Interns that go through Interns International might not necessarily get a salary as such, but if they don't, then they'd get a living allowance while they're working.
Danny:
I'm not sure what the distinction is.
Sarah:
Something with tax laws, maybe?
Sarah:
And Placements.com.
Sarah:
They pride themselves on getting to know every individual who wants to find an internship, don't they?
Danny:
Matching them up with the internship they're most compatible with.
Sarah:
And being really thorough about it.
Sarah:
That's what they say.
