How to...Find an internship

Science graduates looking for work are increasingly required to show they have additional skills on top of their degree. Sarah Maddocks MRSB has some practical advice for biologists wanting to intern while they study

The Biologist 63(6) p28-30

In the UK, more than 20% of people have a degree. Furthermore, the number of students graduating with a first class degree has risen from 9% to approximately 15% in the last decade. Consequently, employers are beginning to place increasing emphasis on experience in the workplace when selecting candidates. A variety of opportunities exist to enable students to acquire experience while studying for a degree.

The experience gained from a workplace internship is often more than just technical expertise, encompassing numerous transferable skills, such as time management, planning, recording and processing information, preparing presentations, using software packages, giving presentations, teamworking and communication, to name a few. Moreover, job opportunities can arise directly or indirectly (through recommendation) as a result of an internship. So, what types of internships are available and how do you go about finding and applying for them?

Irrespective of whether or not a particular degree course has a sandwich year, it is usually possible to do a 12-month internship. If the former is the case, then the internship is built in to the course. If the latter is the case, there is potential to suspend studies for 12 months at the discretion of the university or programme of study.

For the biological sciences, a large number of paid internship opportunities are available within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries – for example, with GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Merck. Alternatively, 12-month paid placements are also available in government-run laboratories such as the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories or Public Health England. Most of these internships provide a structured experience that includes mentorship, collation of a training log book and, in some cases, a taught element.

Shorter internships are also available and are often scheduled (but not restricted to) the summer holiday between the second and third year of a degree course. The majority of these last between eight and 12 weeks and usually include a student stipend.

The nature of summer internships is diverse: many organisations from the pharmaceutical industry, professional bodies, learned societies, local government, academia and research councils offer internships, which might include public engagement, policy, writing, radio production, research and development and marketing, to name a few. More often than not, internships are advertised on websites specific to the organisation offering them or are collated on affiliated websites – for example, there are a number of internship opportunities highlighted on the Society's careers pages.

 Applying for an internship ordinarily involves submitting an application form and/or CV and covering letter, but some internships require an interview. Professional bodies such as the Microbiology Society and the Biochemical Society offer to support summer studentships within academia, but rely on the student to identify an academic supervisor who prepares and submits a proposal for a named student.

The major research bodies, such as the BBSRC, the MRC and the Wellcome Trust, use a similar scheme, as do a number of charities, including Cancer Research UK. For these studentships, a covering letter and CV are usually required. Many universities are familiar with these schemes and it's worth approaching academics to see if they are willing to supervise a project or whether they already intend to apply to the summer studentship schemes that are available.

Applying for an internship is a competitive process and it is important to identify opportunities early on. Most internship applications use academic performance as an indicator of suitability, but it is also good to highlight skills acquired from voluntary work and part-time jobs, such as teamworking, which are also attractive attributes.

If you would like to gain particular experience, but there are no relevant internships available, remember you can always submit a speculative application. If taking this approach, it is important to prepare a covering letter that puts your case forward, as well as providing a CV.

Being proactive when looking for an internship is paramount and making sure you have researched the position well in advance is highly recommended, particularly if an interview is required. If you secure an internship, make the most of your experience – treat it as an opportunity to learn, attain valuable experience and inform your future career goals.

Dr Sarah Maddocks is a lecturer in microbiology at Cardiff Met University and a member of The Biologist's editorial board.

Find out more about skills and training on the Society's careers pages.