The Student Room Group

Internships and making the most.

So currently in my 1st year of uni and to be honest don't think I have made the most of my uni experience. I'm doing a degree in a field I do not want to pursue, but simply want to gain skills from my degree and build connections. In my 2nd year I hope to apply for internships and summer placements because I want to maximize my chances of employment after graduation. What can I do to make me stand out from the crowd and make me the strongest candidate? Reading a lot of stories on here and I don't want to be stuck in the same boat so I'm trying to plan ahead to make the most of my life. Any advice? Thank you.
Hey, what degree are you doing and what sector do you want to go into? I didn’t make the most of university until year 2 tbh with no career plans but survived somehow. My tips would be apply for internships as soon as possible so for example I did a year in industry and I applied for as many jobs as possible from September time, I did the same when applying for graduate roles. I also went to as many careers fairs/networking events provided by the university although I have now learnt there are many in areas such as London. At networking events approach as many companies as you can where you even have a slight bit of interest and don’t be afraid to ask for work experience opportunities. (That’s how I got my first relevant work exp even tho it was unpaid it’s great for your cv) Make sure your cv is top notch get it checked by the careers team and when you apply for a job always attach a cover letter otherwise it would get instantly binned unless it tells you explicitly don’t put in a cover letter. Do mock assessment centres and mock interviews. Do part time jobs if you don’t have experience already. If you want to go into a top 4 accounting firm/investment banking, it’s a good idea to apply for their summer internships and week of work schemes. It’s also a good idea to do competitions which interest you and if you win it’s nice to have on your cv. :smile:
(edited 4 years ago)
Hey,

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Original post by mansnothot
So currently in my 1st year of uni and to be honest don't think I have made the most of my uni experience. I'm doing a degree in a field I do not want to pursue, but simply want to gain skills from my degree and build connections. In my 2nd year I hope to apply for internships and summer placements because I want to maximize my chances of employment after graduation. What can I do to make me stand out from the crowd and make me the strongest candidate? Reading a lot of stories on here and I don't want to be stuck in the same boat so I'm trying to plan ahead to make the most of my life. Any advice? Thank you.

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