Part-time internship during your studies

Part-time internships are usually in small companies and start-ups.

Occasionally, companies will get in touch with us, offering internships with flexibility in hours.

Some students use contacts and networks to create opportunities. You will need to use a good networking strategy.

Finding your own opportunity:

• Approach companies directly. 
• Tell them why you want to intern there.
• Tell them what skills you can offer and how this will add value.
• Do not just ask for experience.

 

Summer internships

Summer internships are typically found in large companies and usually only full-time. Opportunities may require you to be a penultimate year undergraduate. For these reasons, Masters and MBA students don’t typically intern in big companies over the summer. Instead, they may find part-time opportunities in smaller firms.

 

Graduate internships

Internships are found in large and small companies and last between 6-12 months. Positions are advertised any time of year according to business needs. In some areas, like Banking, these can be called “off-cycle” internships.

To apply:

• Start looking at the end of the summer exam period.
• Treat it like a job application.
• Emphasise what you can bring rather than what the internship will give you.

 

MBA internships

MBA internships with multi-national companies get advertised on job boards or company websites. Positions are more suited to the two-year MBA model. Internships are full-time and take place in the summer between the first and second years of study. 

If you are on a one-year MBA programme, you may wish to explore other options. The BBS Careers team source part-time internships, off-cycle internships and end-of-study internships. Find and apply for internships by contacting the team.

• Contact the team

 

1. Do you need to intern? If you already have work experience, you might not need to. 

It can be beneficial if you are:

• Trying to get into a competitive area where relevant experience is required, such as Investment Banking.  
• Applying for a direct-entry role where the emphasis is on work experience rather than transferable skills.

 

2. Are you an international student looking for experience working in the UK?

• Consider applying for a part-time job or volunteering.

 

3. Interning while studying for a full-time Masters or MBA is tricky due to the intensity of the academic timetable. You can gain valuable skills in other ways. 

Ideas to develop skills:

• Apply for extracurricular programmes.
• Join or start at a student society relevant to your career goal. 
• Apply for a leadership position. You could become a Student Rep and look to influence change.
• Research, create and publish content on business topics.
• Volunteer for a charity; offer to solve problems [e.g. reduce operational costs] or create opportunities [e.g. marketing plan].
• Participate in company boot camps, hackathons, business competitions, and trading challenges.
• Complete projects on mindsumo.
  

Reasons for looking for an internship vary. You may want to explore if a particular career or employment sector is right for you or wish to gain experience, contacts and knowledge in your chosen area.

In a competitive market, having work experience on your CV is key to staying ahead. Work experience can help you understand what you want to do and get an insight into roles and companies before securing a permanent job.

Before you start looking for an internship, take some time to consider the following:

• Occupations and industries you are interested in and the work experience you will need to develop a career in that area.
• Your existing skills and experiences and how you would like to develop them further.
• When do you want to get experience? How much time can you commit?
• Location – where do you want to work? Where can you travel?

 

Unsure what is the best path for you? Discuss your options with the BBS Careers team.

• Book an appointment

‘B-Experienced Internships' are a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote internships available exclusively to current undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as recent graduates from the University of Birmingham.

• Find out about B-Experienced Internship Programme