What is a successful internship?
For a small but growing number of students, a Gateway Internship (part of the College’s Gateway Programme) has resulted in a job offer. But what are the other benefits of doing an internship?
Internships help students to make well-informed choices about what they want to do after graduating. Internships also provide students with insights and hands-on experience, which help to strengthen their CVs in an increasingly competitive graduate job market.
An internship is also a great way for a student to demonstrate their skills over a longer period of time than a typical job interview. They also have time to learn what a particular role or organisation is really like. From an employer’s perspective, they are able to see an individual work over a number of weeks. This can help give them more confidence that if they were to offer the individual a position, that that person would be a good fit for the team and the company. In essence, a successful internship is a win-win for both parties.
Recent examples of successful internships
In the summer of 2019, a Murray Edwards College student was offered an internship with a small financial company via the Gateway Internship Initiative. As a result, the student has been offered a permanent role with the company when she graduates in 2020.
Over the past few years, a number of Murray Edwards College students have also been offered placements or jobs after completing internships via the Gateway Internship Initiative:
- Two students have been offered training contracts at a London law firm.
- Another student undertook an internship in the education sector at a Cambridge-based organisation, and was invited back for a further internship after they graduated. This was extended to a longer contract and we are delighted to say the alumna is now working in the Admissions team here at College.
Internship opportunities
Each year, we aim to offer interesting internships and one-day work-shadowing opportunities to our students who take part in the Gateway Programme. In 2019, these included shadowing a High Court Judge at the Old Bailey, and a trip to ARM (a multinational technology company, which started in Cambridge).
We are very grateful to all the companies and individuals who help us by providing internship and work-shadowing opportunities.