Why should I do an internship?

Internships provide invaluable hands-on experience, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application. They allow students to have a short insight into a career path they may be interested in. They also help build professional networks, which can open doors to future job opportunities. Throughout the internship, you will develop practical skills, gain insights into workplace dynamics, and be able to build your confidence. 

How do I find opportunities?

If you want to do an internship you'll have to find opportunities to apply for. Luckily, there are several things you can do:

• Career Connect – the University's vacancy website available via your MUSE account (particularly good for smaller and/or local organisations).

• Ratemyplacement and TargetJobs – used by most of the well-known employers.

• LinkedIn – more and more employers are using this platform to advertise opportunities.

• Bright Network – collects vacancies for internships, placements and graduate schemes alongside providing useful resources to help with securing offers. They also have run employability events in the past, so make sure you keep checking their website.

• Gradcracker - tailored to STEM students, where they can explore career paths in apprenticeships, placements and graduate roles 

• Use your contacts – More and more graduates are finding jobs through speaking to their contacts. This could be friends, family, their friends and family… as well as other Sheffield graduates and people at a careers event or talk. They may be aware of opportunities within their organisation that are looking for new employees.

Set up your preferences to get alerts for internships in particular industries or locations. Also look out for the SEED newsletter in your email inbox that will contain vacancies that might be of particular interest to Economics students. You can find past editions in the SEED newsletter archives. Once you've found an internship you'd like to apply for, check out the "achieve your goals" section for advice on how to write good applications and prepare for interviews.

I'd like more information on working in the Civil Service.

Sure. We've created a separate page for all information regarding being a Government economist because there's a lot to cover.