Having an internship experience might be necessary for some students to complete their studies. But it’s also a great opportunity with several benefits. Through an internship, you will have a good insight into the industry you are going to work in. Acquiring theoretical knowledge in the classroom is nothing like a real-life experience.
In addition to learning new skills, internships help you grow your professional network. And this will be beneficial for your career in the future. Consequently, it might lead to better opportunities when you graduate.
In this article, we will provide you with some valuable information about the agreement you should sign with the company you are interning for. In other words, this will help you understand the legal process related to work-study & internship contracts. Additionally, we will clarify the different types of internships. and lastly, where should you start looking for them.
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Internship contracts
Before we talk “Find Internships”, we foresaw it’s a good idea to include a section giving you a heads-up about the legal side of getting an internship. If that’s nothing of interest for you, feel free to skip this section!
Well, let’s start with contracts!
There is no legal requirement to have an agreement or a contract with the company you are interning for. However, having one in place will help make everything clear between the employee and the employer. In addition, it is a tool to protect both parties. The question that arises here is: What should a contract or an agreement include for an intern?
There are certain components a lawful agreement should contain, and they are as follows:
Details About The Internship
This part answers basic questions about the internship. Namely, where does the internship start and ends? When is the intern attending the workspace? And how can the internship end? These are fundamental things the two parties should agree on before starting.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities you are dealing with should be clear from the start. This will avoid any confusion or legal issues. Some of the duties and responsibilities the business could allocate to the intern are:
- To abide by lawful and reasonable directions. It might also require you to use the company’s resources properly and turn them in as soon as the internship ends.
- To follow all relevant policies and procedures of the business.
Confidentiality
The intern might have access to certain confidential information about the company depending on the tasks s/he is performing. That is why both parties must sign an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement). Confidential information could be clients’ lists or marketing plans for instance.
Intellectual Property
If the intern creates something for the company, the company doesn’t automatically own it because the intern is not one of its employees yet. So, the intern must, first, agree to the business all rights, title, and interests in any intellectual property created s/he created!
Moral Rights
Morally speaking, the intern has the absolute right to be credited or attributed for their creations. What is more, you have the right not to have your work treated in a derogatory way that would prejudice your reputation or honour.
Work Health and Safety
The internship agreement would usually demand the intern to follow all relevant health policies and procedures. Moreover, they would want you to report any health and safety risks or incidents to your manager or supervisor.
Here is a sample that includes the components we mentioned here and more!
Types of Internships:
Paid Internships:
Paid internships mainly exist in the private sector. The company basically must pay you while you are interning, and since they are paying for your work, you would be expected to produce something of value for their business.
Non-paid Internships
An unpaid internship is a huge opportunity for students to learn without any stress, as you are going to be practicing your theoretical knowledge without expecting to have any financial benefits in return. However, you would anticipate having certificate by the end of the internship.
Credit Internship:
It is closely related to academia. That is, many colleges call for a credit internship to consider you “credit-worthy”.
Non-profit Internships:
When you work or volunteer for charities, government agencies or religious organizations…etc. As the name suggests, you are not expecting any other profit from the internship.
Co-operative Education:
The main difference between this kind of internship and others is length. While the previous internships usually last for two months on average, this one lasts for more than a year. Students do attend their classes usually and are involved in the internship at the same time.
Provisional Internships:
Companies usually use this kind of internship to hire actual employees. They would hire interns to see if they can recruit them full-time.
Where to Look and How to Find an Internship?
Where to Start Looking for an Internship?
Now that you have an idea about the legal process of being an intern and the different types of internships. This is the section you’ve been waiting for. Where to start looking for an internship is the question here!
First, ask your school about internship programs for their college students. Universities do have some for their students. But, ask as early as possible to have a place among the thousands of students in school.
Searching online is a necessity nowadays to find an internship. Start by looking at companies’ websites. If there is a company that you’ve always dreamed of working in, this is your opportunity to cease the chance when they provide any internship.
In addition, you can search for internships on job boards. There are many job boards where you can find a job in Europe or any place around the world. However, they also might provide some sources for internships. Add the word “internship” to whatever you are looking for and you might come across a good chance.
Social media is also a great way to find internships. LinkedIn is a good example of this. It is a place for both professionals and students. And some companies use it mainly to hire employees for their business. Moreover, they post job and internship opportunities on their pages on different social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
However, if finding an internship proved to be challenging, you should try other ways to find what you’re looking for. After all, you don’t have to limit yourself to conventional methods that are used by everyone. Sometimes, you need to think outside the box!
For instance, you can use job-hunt techniques to find an internship that suits you the best.
Job-hunt tips to help you find an internship
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an ideal platform to find job opportunities and internships. That’s why you should leverage it to the fullest! Moreover, most recruiters use LinkedIn to look for potential candidates like you!
Accordingly, you can use LinkedIn to target recruiters in your field or expertise area. So, why not contact them directly through texting. If you’re wondering how to properly contact recruiters, here is how:
- When the recruiter accepts your connection invitation, look for his/ her email under “Contact Info” on his/ her profile then send a message!
- Your message should include your professional experience, qualifications, and what you’re searching for as a candidate. For instance, you can inform recruiters that you’re a student seeking an internship and that you’d love to work with them. Also, demonstrate that you’re willing to learn and acquire professional experience in their company.
- Remember! Your email or LinkedIn message should be concise, professional, and relevant to the recruiters you’re targeting. After all, your email or message is a self-representation, and it should reflect your professional value.
Otherwise, you can create a post that describes what sort of positions you’re looking for. You can also include what type of sectors or companies you’re targeting. This will make it easier for recruiters and managers to identify you, which increases your odds of landing an internship or job.
In case, you couldn’t find managers/recruiters that are relevant to your professional expertise and sector, try widening your search. Fortunately, LinkedIn helps you to do that! By using search filters, you can improve your results, which helps you find what you’re looking for!
After you find potential recruiters, make sure you contact them directly through LinkedIn. Again! Ensure your communication is professional, concise, and reflects your qualifications & goals.
Keep an eye on companies you’re interested in.
Following your target companies will help you learn a lot about how they work and recruit candidates. This also keeps you updated about the latest developments related to their business and hiring processes. Moreover, you will always be aware of their recruitment campaigns, which offer opportunities when it comes to internship and job positions.
Networking
Lastly, never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Ask your family and friends about internships for students. Always tell your surroundings that you are looking for an internship. Some of them might have an opportunity in the company they work for. And you will have someone who recommends you as a potential intern.
Moreover, you can network with people on linkedIn and other platforms online. Reach out to people that work in your target industry/sector. Ask them to give information and insights about the companies they work in and hunt for potential opportunities.
Top 5 Platforms to Help You Look for Internships.
Glassdoor : Glassdoor is an online global platform that provides jobs and internships around the world. It provides you with a brief description of the job or the internship and a company overview. It can help you to look for job or internship openings.
Idealist : This is a non-profit global organization that announces job opportunities, internships, and volunteer work from organizations around the world. In this platform, you can find opportunities in both the social and development sectors.
Global Experiences : is an international website that helps students find internships around the world. They have over 40 career fields to choose from. You can also search for opportunities using different criteria: destination, career field, or program season.
Erasmusintern : is a platform where companies and organizations can offer their internship vacancies for people who are looking for international opportunities.
Eurasmus : this is a platform that connects thousands of students with companies in Europe for internships. They help students easily apply online for internships. They also help companies to find and hire talented individuals from all over the world.
Conclusion:
Doing an internship is beneficial in so many ways. It can help kick start your professional resume and help you have some solid professional relations. However, you should be aware of your rights and duties to get into the world of professionalism.
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