What is an Internship
An internship is a temporary training position in a company or organisation. Internships are a great way to learn, gain valuable experience, expand your professional network and practice your English. An internship can provide you with an opportunity to find out how your studies can apply in a professional setting, it is also an important part of building a core experience that can help you in identifying or choosing your career path. It adds considerably to your CV and will help you impress at interviews in the future, in terms of showing dedication to your chosen career area. An internship is a bridge between your Academic past and your professional future, so it is an important step for your career prospects.
Many companies (host companies) offer internships to give young people experience and in return the intern can assist staff with tasks such as translation, IT, Marketing research, social media etc.. Don’t expect your internship to mirror exactly your academic studies, you will be working in a real company, each company have different systems and work ethic so may be entirely different than any previous work experience you have had or what you have learned in class. Interns are not employees and the training in most cases is unpaid. Internships are a good way to check out if a certain career actually suits you and let you know this is the area you wish to be employed in the future.
What to expect
Most companies will assign a supervisor or mentor to their interns, tasks and hours of work should be agreed in advance or at your first day induction meeting. Some of the tasks maybe unfamiliar to you but you will be shown how to do them and have regular check in’s to see if you have any problems. INTERNSPLUS will also keep in regular contact with you to check everything is going okay so you are fully supported throughout your stay. This is a great opportunity for you, the success of your internship is dependent on you having and open and flexible attitude to learn new things, don’t be afraid to ask questions, the company would expect you to do so. Some of the tasks maybe mundane but these are typical tasks that regular employees also do, so you should be prepared to do them also. You will not get special treatment, you will be treated the same as the rest of the staff and could have deadlines you may need to meet. This is excellent preparation for future roles in any company. Accept constructive criticism it’s the only way you will learn, after all if you made a mistake in class your teacher would correct you so don’t take it personally.
Who can apply for this programme?
Typically our applicants are University students, vocational students, apprentices or recent graduates. They may have received a grant to complete an internship abroad from the European Union under the Erasmusplus programme. They should have a reasonable amount of English and be able to demonstrate flexibility and “can do attitude”. If you do not have a grant you can still apply for this programme. Please note internships are generally unpaid, although some companies may offer pocket money or perks, other do not.
It is important for any participant to be realistic in their expectations. There is no point in expecting to be accepted by any company at Management level even if you have a Degree in Business Management. The reality is that you probably have no practical experience or may have never worked before, even if you do have previous work experience, you should accept that any company that agrees to host you will be taking you in at Trainee/Entry level. Most professionals will tell you that during their normal working day, they have to carry out routine tasks that may not be very exciting but this is part of everyday working life. Placements are usually from 4 weeks – 6 months and can also have an English language course included prior to placement (this is optional) and entirely dependent on participants language level.
We offer placements in a wide range of sectors.
- Information Technology
- Business Administration
- Finance
- Health/Beauty/ Hairdressing
- Fashion
- Photography
- Graphic Design
- Engineering
- Tourism
- Marketing
- Graphic/Animation
These are just a sample, others sectors are also available.
How do I apply?
Send us your CV and motivational letter, CV should be in European format and should not be any longer than 2 pages. Start with Education, qualifications followed by work experience. List any IT skills, social media skills that you have in order for us to present you in the best possible way to a prospective host company.
European Curriculum Vitae Format
This document is an example of how to lay our your Curriculum Vitae in the European format.
Indicate in your application preferred areas of internship and dates, length of time you can stay. Applications should be sent at least two months in advance. We will then use our expertise to review your CV, search and contact suitable companies, arrange SKYPE interview (if required by host company). We will take care of any ERASMUSPLUS/ University documentation you may require.
Contact us today for more information @ info@internsplus.ie
