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Summer internships are a rite of passage for many school leavers and university students alike; it allows new talent to check out careers while giving a business a platform to showcase what they can offer. But how can employers ensure they are beneficial for both and don’t end up in a pit of tea making and admin filing?
Back in the late 1990s when I was a wide-eyed student, full of ambition and hope, I undertook some work experience at my local Solicitor’s practice in the sleepy, coastal Devon home in which I was raised. It was a full two weeks which felt like an eternity as I was made to feel like an inconvenience whose responsibilities were mainly making tea while dialing some unexpected clients and booking in some meetings. In short, I surfaced with a loathing for entering that profession and a dismay that while I should have felt grateful for the role and my first foray into the world of work, I wish I hadn’t bothered.
Of course, my experience may be a one-off and we are not referring to a big corporate business that should have a slicker approach but as we lean in towards the end of another academic year, how do we ensure that these programmes are useful and beneficial for all involved and not just a one-way street to a closed door and a feeling of despair?
Who offers them and do they pay?
Quiet coastal towns aside, the summer internship programme is a part of the annual calendar for many of the professional firms. Deloitte, KPMG, EY, and PwC all offer programmes offering a pathway to a career and some ‘time under the belt’ seeing the ‘bells and whistles’ not just of the coffee machine but the actual work that is performed.
Summer internships are highly beneficial for both interns and for our businesses. They provide students with a chance to get real exposure to a business setting, understanding our culture, processes, and systems
Barclays bank is another big player in the summer internship programme. Aisling Barnes, Senior Global Early Careers Manager for the financial powerhouse recently did a shout out on networking site, LinkedIn welcoming the new swathe of interns: “We are super proud of this programme and are excited to watch our interns develop and grow with us over the summer,” she wrote. Their programme offers 3 steps from an in-depth introduction to the business area of choice, connection opportunities across teams to taking on responsibility from day one with a line manager as well as having a buddy and mentor to provide support. It’s an immersive experience and one that is played out with other big corporates too.
