For a typical internship application, it is likely that you will need both a CV and a cover letter that detail the experience and skills you have gained so far.

A cover letter is a formal letter that is sent to an employer with a CV. This should detail why you are interested in the role with the aim of introducing yourself and inviting the employer to read your CV.

You can read our advice about making successful CVs and applications and, once you have put your application together, make sure to get your application checked by one of our Careers Consultants in a 1:1 appointment – book via MyJobsOnline.

Paid internships

If you are classed as a 'worker' whilst undertaking an internship, you should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW). 

You can find all the details about this on the government website. Please do remember to speak to Careers if you need any advice.   

Unpaid internships

In some sectors, it is more commonplace to find organisations offering unpaid internships.

If you’d like any more guidance, or want to find out more, read about the rights of interns.

If you’ve looked through advertised opportunities online and can’t find what you are looking for, why not try finding or creating your own internship?

Whilst the employer may not have a formal scheme or programme, if you are resourceful they may be able to offer you some form of experience (ranging from work shadowing to paid work – just remember to be flexible!). This kind of approach is called making a speculative application.

Experience: An internship will give you a taste of what graduate work is like. This relevant experience and industry knowledge will be valuable on your CV and when applying to roles in the future.

Future work: This is your chance to determine whether a certain job or career path is for you. An opportunity such as an internship can also give you a chance of getting your foot in the door.

Skills Development: Develop your skills in a particular field or industry. An internship will also provide you with a chance to increase your confidence and discover how to showcase professional values.

Networking: Grow your professional network and create your own contacts in this sector.

It may be worth noting that if you do manage to source your own internship, and the organisation meets the following criteria, then you could be eligible to apply to the Reading Internship Scheme for funding. For further information, please contact ris@reading.ac.uk.

• Be a an SME with 1-250 employees
• Be able to pay an intern through the organisation’s pay roll
• Offer a full time project based internship of 6 weeks or more during the summer period.
• Accept the associated on-costs (employers NI etc.), and pay the employer’s contribution towards salary as detailed above
• Have premises in which an intern can be based (we are not able to support internships which are predominantly remote working… although some working from home on occasion is acceptable)
• Have a project-based job description that an intern can work on for the majority of their time. This helps to ensure that interns have a meaningful role in the organisation and helps both interns and employers to benefit from the experience.
• Accept the University’s placement agreement
• Have a health and safety policy and suitable employer liability insurance

If you are thinking about accommodation whilst completing an internship, you could consider the STAY@Reading initiative. You could also check out the Rate My Placement blog about how to find accommodation when you move to London for an internship.  We also recommend you take a look at Presspad and Room for tea.