Graduate jobs are difficult to come by in today’s economic climate, with NEETs (those not in education, employment or training) taking the brunt of unemployment. Employers have cut back on posts as well as the scope of any graduate scheme they might have, reflecting the harsh realities of the savings they are having to make to stay solvent. Many companies are still running an internship programme, which can be a brilliant way to move into a job. However, internships must be considered with care, since they differ hugely in quality and purpose.

In the worst case, an internship is just an employer’s way of securing cheap labour. Under the pretence of teaching you about your chosen industry, they can essentially exploit their interns. The change in the law that requires companies to pay interns at least the minimum wage has reduced this problem slightly, since they still have to get value for money out of those who come to work for them. However, there is still the problem of widely differing expectations. Lots of interns arrive in their new place of work, only to find that their employer has taken the idea far less seriously than they have. In these cases, an internship is little more than a way of marking time.

In the best cases, though, internships can be outstanding learning experiences. They will often lead to a permanent position in the relevant industry or the company itself, and it is worth ensuring at the beginning if this is a possibility. This fact alone will often enable you to find those who want to prepare you for working in the sector, and those who are just looking for cheap workers. Larger employers with well-organised schemes are usually reasonable bets. However, smaller employers can be goldmines, since they offer great opportunities for getting to know the whole of an organisation. If you are uncertain, read any reviews you can find or ask previous interns. Feedback is often kept on university careers sites.

An internship is one way into graduate jobs, and may be an option in a climate where the graduate scheme market is more restricted than it was a few years ago. Nevertheless, you should not give up on these. Start early, and cast your net wide to maximise your opportunities. You can always turn down offers you get if you later think you don’t really want them. What you don’t want is to find yourself in the position of so many other NEETs: finishing university, with no job or internship lined up, and no immediate hope of finding something you really want to do.

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