JobsAndCareersWithJamesCaanAutumn2016 - 55

ADVICE:

INTERNING

EXPERIENCE

COUNTS
IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE
JOBS MARKET, INTERNING AND
VOLUNTEERING CAN PUSH YOU TO
THE TOP OF THE SHORTLIST.
WE LOOK AT THE OPTIONS...

Y

ou want to get on
the career ladder.
Maybe you've
already got the right
qualifications and
know what skills
are required, but
you've applied for jobs and still haven't
been offered an interview.
One way to improve your chances
of bagging that job is to prove you are
employable by getting a placement in
the workplace, either by volunteering
or via an internship.
Although these are two different
options, there is a certain amount of
crossover. Volunteering is giving up
your time for a cause you believe in,

for no financial gain. You can do this for a
set period (undertaking a three-week stint
in an animal sanctuary, for example), or
regularly (such as working every Saturday
at your local charity shop).
Professional internships are paid
positions, where you get hands-on
experience in a role that you wish to
pursue as a career. However, there are
also lots of unpaid internships about,
which are basically work experience and
similar to what you would undertake
at school or college. You would not
receive any pay for these, although
you should get travel expenses.
Make sure you are aware of what
type of internship you are being offered
before you sign any contracts, as some

unscrupulous employers are using a
succession of long-term internships as
a way to avoid employing people and
paying salaries for full-time staff.
Whichever you choose to do, the fact
that you have hands-on experience
will look good on your CV, boost your
confidence and allow you to gain new
skills - and all these things can only
benefit your future job-hunting attempts.

Internships
An internship provides direct experience
of working in a particular role, and is
usually undertaken by those who know
what type of job they want to do. You
can apply to do an internship straight
out of school, after leaving college,
post-graduation or later on in life.
Many employers offer internship
programmes, and they use them to
assess a student or graduate's capability.
Some go on to recruit interns who made
a good impression into full-time roles.
An internship can last a few weeks
in the summer holidays, or a year,
depending on the sector and employer.
Student internships tend to be shorter
in length than graduate internships.
Be very wary of doing unpaid
internships. While working for free for
a few days or a week won't do you much
harm financially, and may bring some
benefit by increasing your practical skills
and knowledge, working for free is not
sustainable or beneficial in the long term.
You may find yourself following
one unpaid gig with another, in a
fruitless search for 'valuable experience'
and still have no job offers. Employment
legislation plainly states that anyone
required to work for a minimum number
of hours, who is set tasks and who adds
value to a business, is classed as a worker
and consequently is entitled to the
national minimum wage.
This applies to all businesses,
regardless of size or profits, excluding
charities. So, if you are doing work for
an organisation, and not just shadowing,
for example, then you are classed as
a worker and are entitled to earn the
national minimum wage.
Visit gov.uk/employment-rights-forinterns for more detailed information.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 0 5 5
http://www.gov.uk/employment-rights-for
JobsAndCareersWithJamesCaanAutumn2016

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