Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.
Internship goals and target sectors
Apply to everything in sight and you will usually send forty thin applications and hear back from two. Deciding first what you want an internship to give you (a graduate job route, a skill, a sector test, a reference, money for the summer) and narrowing to two or three sectors makes every later choice faster and every application sharper.
First tasks
- Write down three things you want an internship to give you
- List every sector you have considered and cross out the ones you would not enjoy
- Pick two or three target sectors and write one reason for each
- Talk the shortlist through with a careers adviser or tutor
Recruiting calendar for your target sectors
Large banks, consultancies, law firms and engineering companies often open summer internship applications nine to twelve months ahead and fill places on a rolling basis, while charities, startups and media firms may advertise only weeks before the start. Knowing the real timetable for your sectors stops you discovering in March that the deadlines passed in November.
First tasks
- Ask your careers service when your target sectors usually open internship applications
- Note last year's opening and closing dates for ten employers you like
- Mark your exams and coursework deadlines on the same calendar
- Rebuild the recruiting calendar before each new application season @recurring(yearly)
First appointment with the university careers service
Careers services hold employer lists, alumni contacts, CV reviews, mock interviews and sometimes funding for unpaid placements, yet many students first visit in final year. Booking an appointment early in the season gets your CV checked, tells you which employers recruit from your course and puts you on the mailing lists that carry unadvertised roles.
First tasks
- Book a careers adviser appointment through the student portal
- Prepare three questions about internships in your target sectors
- Bring a printed draft CV to the appointment
- Write down the adviser's three suggested actions straight afterwards
