Internship programmes

If you are reading our articles, you already know that many companies value interns. They try to choose the best of the best, and the chosen few may be sure that they will learn something and experience a pleasant influx of money.

Of course even ancient Phoenicians knew that when it is quality you seek, you often have to spend some time looking for it. That is why corporations often have whole divisions organizing internship programs. This means that if a company is known for hiring interns and cooperating with universities it would probably be a good idea to apply for internship at one.

„But hey” you think „I have heard that they only organize things at the other university, not the mine one. What am I supposed to do in this case?” The answer is simple. Find an e-mail address of their HR department and, well, send it.

Do not worry about intruding on some kind of company's privacy or that someone may not wish to read your message. This is what those people are there for! If you are a regular visitor to our blog you know how many job offers never get to wider public as they never are published. Chances are your application will be just the thing someone was looking for. And the fact that you have written to this company out of your own volition is a clear sign that you really want to work there and are motivated enough to do something about it. This is the attitude employers seek!

Now, the companies. There are hundreds of corporations recruiting interns from all over the world and quite a lot of businesses that cooperate with local universities. This means you must bear in mind that examples below are just that: examples.

- Volkswagen. Yes, the ones that produce cars. Every year every branch recruits somewhere in between ten and thirty interns for a few-months-long apprenticeship. Those are always paid and even if the amount of money you get is not staggering, you have to bear in mind that this is an internship after all. They often take place during summer holiday months so that you do not have to worry about education – but when they do not you can often have your working hours adjusted so that work will not interfere with you studies. The company needs mostly students from universities of technology, but if you take the HR people by surprise... who knows?

- Microsoft. The international IT giant has a constant need for workers and interns. The easiest way to apply to them is to hand your CV to an appropriate person during IT Academic Days they so often organize at many universities of technology. You do not even have to attend there – simply sign up when you catch the wind that something is a-brewing and visit the place when they arrive. Obviously Microsoft needs mostly IT specialists, but as they constantly enter new markets pretty much every CV will be considered. If you are chosen you will probably be invited for an internship at Redmond – quite a beginning for your career, wouldn't you agree?

- Language Link. Not only do they recruit globally, but also present an amazingly attractive offer. They recruit mostly candidates for future English teachers, but if you have enough skills and want just to gain new experience – nothing stands in your way. First, when you are chosen, you receive four weeks of language training, that should place you roughly on the TEFL level. Then, as an intern-teacher you are assigned your own group and, well, teach them English! Not only can you hone your language and interpersonal skills, but also learn how to convey and pass on information.
All those are extremely valuable skills, but that is not all. You are invited to Moscow for the time of your internship, and they pay you enough for you to live a comfortable life. Ever wanted to say “hello” to Putin? Well, there is your occasion.

- And if all of those – including your local possibilities - will fail, there is always McDonalds. Wait, did I hear a snicker? I cannot fathom why. First of all – your internship will be paid much better than most others. Secondly, you will be taught how to deal with various situations, and their rotation system will force you to learn handling new duties. Most importantly – McDonalds teaches you how it is to work in corporation. This is a widely recognized fact, and working there will score you quite a few points with all the corporate employers.

As it was mentioned before, those are but a single drop among the sea of offers. If you would like to sail further in your CV boat, looking for internship archipelagos you should check locally or on websites such as this:
http://internships.about.com/od/corporateinternships/
 
So, what have we learned today? Corporate internships are a great thing, and not so hard to get too. Direct contact is usually the best way to get a job, and if you know that a certain corp or company has special internship programs, you will not waste your time sending them your CV. Apply even when in doubt whether you will be needed – even Google needs not only IT specialists and programmers, but also economists, stylists, HR specialists and so on.
Happy hunting!

See also: Erasmus Today - Erasmus Tomorrow 

Image source: http://www.transamerica.com/internships/images/homePage.jpg
Written by: Piotr Matyjaszczyk