Brilliant Intern

Brilliant Intern is the essential guide to what is fast becoming an essential part of every graduate’s career path – an internship. It will take you through the process of finding a relevant, meaningful internship; how to get as much out of the placement as possible; and how to utilise the experience and the contacts you have developed to help you secure your first job.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents About the Author Acknowledgements Introduction   PART 1             Finding an Internship 1.       Selecting a sector 2.       Advertised internships 3.       Internship agencies and recruitment services 4.       Speculative applications and hidden internships 5.       How to avoid bad internships 6.       CVs and cover letters 7.       Interviews PART 2             During your Internship 8.     Preparations and expectations 9.       Your first day 10.       Your mentor 11.     Your boss 12.     Your colleagues 13.     Social media and the workplace 14.     Day-to-day office life 15.    Networking PART 3             After your Internship 16.     Securing that job 17.      Your Reference 18.       Your new CV 19.       Staying in touch Conclusion PART 1 will look at all the processes involved in securing a beneficial internship, offering advice and insights into what areas are available (particularly emerging industries) and what kind of person might suit a sector. It will then offer guidance to the reader on the best places to find these opportunities – both publicised and hidden, and how to make the most of your application, from initial contact to interview stage. Crucially, PART 1 will also give expert advice on warning signs to look out for when applying for internships, ensuring candidates are not exploited or find themselves in a position they did not want. PART 2 will walk the reader through all the aspects of conducting a successful internship, dealing with issues that a potential intern, particularly one who may not have experienced an office environment before, may not be aware of. It will range from ensuring you have everything ready to ensure your first day runs smoothly; keeping expectations realistic; managing relationships with superiors, colleagues and clients; and new potential stumbling blocks at work, such as the advent of social media and the implications thereof. PART 3 will help the reader maximise their internship experience after it has finished. It will deal with securing a positive reference, how to update your CV/cover letter accordingly to include the extra experience, and give advice on cultivating the contacts made during a placement.

About the Author :
Inspiring Interns are the UK’s leading internship agency, working with thousands of graduates and employers to create meaningful work experience that leads to permanent employment. Inspiring Interns have appeared as expert panellists on Guardian careers talks; written their own internship manifesto for the 2010 General Election which was praised by Theresa May MP (now Home Secretary); and advised the CIPD on their report ‘Interns: to pay or not to pay’. Andrew Scherer is marketing manager at Inspiring Interns. In his work as a journalist he ran several websites, was published in the Guardian, and has covered both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Football World Cup.