Flexible, paid, internships for all undergraduates at UoR
What is the Reading Internship Scheme?
If you are looking for paid, professional work experience and the chance to develop your transferable skills, the Reading Internship Scheme could be for you. The scheme is exclusive to University of Reading undergraduate students and gives you the opportunity to undertake a 4 – 8-week paid internship with professionals. The Reading Internship Scheme team source internships for you, and upload these onto My Jobs Online for you to apply for.
I’ve heard about this scheme before. What’s new?
The scheme is supporting remote internships, office-based internships (as long as the workplace is COVID secure) and internships which feature both. If you choose to undertake an office based internship, please be sure to keep up to date on the latest government guidance on COVID-19.
What would completing a virtual internship be like?
Students working remotely will be working from the comfort of wherever they are. This means you do not need to worry about having to travel to complete your internship. The internships will still involve a project with regular catch ups with the team you are placed within, however these will all be done via call or message.
Virtual internships are very different, however are still great experience as lots of organisations have an element of home working in their business as usual approach. Find tips on how to make the most of a remote internship.
When and how can I take part?
The scheme operates throughout the academic year and features part-time and full-time internship opportunities. Please keep an eye on our latest vacancies page to keep up to date with the latest information.
Part-time internships in term time (up to 20 hours per week):
- 28th September – 11th December 2020 (Autumn term)
- 11th January – 26th March 2021 (Spring term)
- 19th April – 11th June 2021 (Summer term)
Full-time internships (35 hour per week) in vacation periods:
- 14th December - 8th January
- 29th March - 16th April
- 14th June - 24th September
Internships are advertised on the My Jobs Online portal. The application closing dates will vary between opportunities, so make sure to check those before starting your applications.
Is it paid?
Yes! Every opportunity through the Reading Internship Scheme will be paid £9 per hour, both remote and office-based internships are paid. If you find your own unpaid internship you may be eligible to apply for our living cost bursary through the scheme, please email careers@reading.ac.uk.
Can I use an internship from the scheme towards any modules on my course?
The Reading Internship Scheme is an extracurricular work experience programme, which cannot be used towards any credit baring initiatives as part of your degree programme. The scheme is a great way for you to gain experience and also transferable skills which you will need for future employment.
Who can take part?
If you are an undergraduate (or have very recently graduated) from the University of Reading and are based in the UK at the time of the internship, you are eligible to apply to the vacancies. You can apply to any of the vacancies that you’re interested in, even if it’s not within your specific degree sector.
Why do I have to be UK based when undertaking an internship?
All payments made to the interns are via the employer's UK payroll, which means UK income tax and National Insurance contributions are paid to the UK Government (if the relevant thresholds are met). If an individual were to be paid on a UK payroll whilst they are working outside of the UK, it could mean that the relevant tax and social security contributions are not being paid to the country where the work is being completed. This could expose both the individual and the employer to risk in terms of potentially a substantial fine, which could be levied against the employer and the individual by HMRC on behalf of the other country’s tax authority. As tax legislation varies between different jurisdictions and the tax legislation itself may vary depending on an individual’s own circumstances we are not able to quantify this risk.
Large multinational organisations will often have international mobility teams and a number of foreign payrolls to facilitate individuals working in different countries. However for smaller organisations who participate in the Reading Internship Scheme the cost of placing one individual on a foreign payroll can run into thousands of pounds and unfortunately even requesting tax advice can cost hundreds of pounds. This unfortunately makes engaging a worker on a foreign payroll uneconomical.
How many internships can I complete on the scheme?
You can complete one internship on the Reading Internship Scheme per academic year. We operate the scheme this way to ensure that as many students as possible can access support through the scheme.
What next?
Why not read of some of our previous intern’s experiences of remote internships and frequently asked questions from students.
If you have any questions, please email careers@reading.ac.uk