Internships in the UK

Internships are usually structured 6 to 12 week summer work experience schemes offered primarily by large organisations.

They are commonly found in sectors such as IT, finance, consulting and law, though some can also be found in the majority of other sectors. 

They are usually aimed at penultimate year students, though some are specifically for graduates. Always read the internship advert to understand who the internship is for.

There are very few internships open to first years, though there are many insight days (see below). First year internships (sometimes called “Spring programmes”) tend to be in business and finance related industries.

With most penultimate year and graduate internships you would work during the summer vacation. Application deadlines start from as early as September of the year before. The small number of first year internships can run any time from February to September.

The Careers Service encourages you to seek paid internships opportunities, but recognises that some charities and other exempt organisations may offer unpaid internships or volunteering roles. We encourage you to take careful consideration if you are thinking about unpaid work. You can check here if you are entitled to National Minimum Wage.

If you source an internship abroad and need to confirm to the internship provider that you are currently a student at Royal Holloway, please use the Student Status Certificate that you can download from Campus Connect. Please note that internships overlapping with Royal Holloway official term-times must be limited to a maximum of 20 working hours per week during term-time, as per College Regulations.

Internships abroad

If you source an internship abroad and need to confirm to the internship provider that you are currently a student at Royal Holloway, please use the Student Status Certificate that you can download from Campus Connect.

Please note that internships overlapping with Royal Holloway official term-times must be limited to a maximum of 20 working hours per week during term-time, as per College Regulations.

Some organisations in European countries might require you to complete an Internship Agreement / Convention de Stage / Convenio de Colaboracion before your internship can commence and the Careers Service can help with issuing this form. 

To obtain the form, you will need to:

• Download the form here
• Complete all the requested details
• Sign the form
• Obtain signature on the form from your internship provider
• Return signed form to the Careers Service via email at careers@rhul.ac.uk 
• Once all the steps above are correctly followed, the form will be countersigned on behalf of Royal Holloway by a member of the Careers Service

Important notes:

• The form is only issued for current students. This does not include finalists if the internship takes place after the official end of their last academic term.
• Internships overlapping with Royal Holloway official term-times must be limited to a maximum of 20 working hours per week during term-time, as per the College Regulations. This limit cannot be waived and by signing the above agreement yourself, and the internship provider agree to these terms.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your employer is aware of this and that these regulations are adhered to.

• The College’s responsibilities under this agreement are to confirm the student status and availability for the duration of the internship.
• Students on internships are not covered by the University’s Public Liability insurance.
• Amendments to the wording of the agreement or additions are not permitted.

Non-standard internship agreements (E.g. for internship agreements that are issued by employers/internship providers) for internships within the EU will be taken into consideration by the Careers Service on a case-by-case basis. The turn-around time for those will usually be 14 working days, as additional consideration is necessary.

For internships taking place outside the EU, the Careers Service will consider signing internship agreements on a case-by-case basis. The turn-around time for those will usually be 14 working days, as additional consideration is necessary.

Insight days

Insight days are offered primarily by larger companies in business, finance and legal sectors. Insight days usually comprise several talks, activities and the opportunity to chat with current employees.

Insight days are typically designed for first years, but are sometimes open to students from other years. Sometimes insight days can be several days or even a week.

Where can I find opportunities?

• Check the Careers Portal by going to the jobs tab and filtering on internships
• Research interesting companies and check their websites
• Check out our Get Experience page for current opportunities