The end of third year is slowly approaching, which creates the worry of what comes after; finishing your dissertation, panicking through your exams, dressing up in your gowns, and finally getting your certificate. It is the beginning of entering the big, scary, real world.

It is tough to know how to fill the first few months you have left your comfortable student bubble. That is, if you haven't bagged yourself a job, or made plans to go find yourself in Thailand, and help the sea turtles in Africa, check David Attenboroughs Africa series - may convince you to go do just that. 

If you are in the position where you don't know what to do after University, don't want to walk straight into a job, or have graduated and feeling slightly lost; I have listed a few advantages of bulking up your CV with an internship!

• It gives you the opportunity to explore and ‘test drive’ potential career paths. If you are unsure of the industry/position/department you want to go into, an internship allows you to try it out – and if it’s not for you, at least you haven’t made any long-term commitments. Consider an internship a job sample, giving you an insight into typical days within that company or industry.

• It can help get your foot in the door with a company. Some companies use internships as a tool to find a full time employee - so in some cases, they can be an extended assessment centre!

• The experience gained in a work place will look great on your CV and become a magnet for potential employers. What I found when job searching, was a lot of companies prefer potential employees to have experienced some sort of internship. An internship shows the employer the candidate is comfortable in a working environment.

• With qualifications only being one area employer’s look at – an internship will give you that competitive advantage. It will give you the chance to demonstrate what you are capable of in the work place – making those competency based questions in interviews much easier to answer!

• Having experience in a working environment will also increase your confidence working in an office. It is somewhere you can learn from your mistakes

• It can make the transition from student life to working life easier. Although you’re given responsibilities, it is understood that you are there to gain experience and to learn – therefore a smoother shift.                

Best of luck to any of you applying for jobs or internships!

H x