PREPARE APATH TOEMPLOYMENT
AS the Northern Irish graduate job market is more competitive than ever, internships are becoming an increasingly popular way of getting a foothold on the career ladder.
However, as these internships are almost as valuable as fulltime graduate jobs, how does a young 20-something fresh from university secure one of these coveted positions?
PAUL STEWART FROM BELFAST-BASED LUGGAGE SHIPPING FIRM UNI BAGGAGE.COM GIVES HIS ADVICE
Know the skills you want to develop.
An internship can help you refine your abilities and iron out any weaknesses.
This will make it easier for you to find the right placement to help you grow professionally.
The best way to stand out to an employer is to offer them a unique talent that you could bring to their company.
We’re most excited by interns with a talent for using social media or writing great blog posts — something that would add value to our business.
Don’t wait for the internship to come to you. Many companies won’t advertise these positions and others may not have even considered the option of hiring an intern.
So make a list of companies you’d like to work for and approach them with the idea.
Write an email and ask if you could send in your CV.
Research the company.
There’s nothing more unprofessional than turning up to an interview without any knowledge of what the company does.
But this doesn’t mean reading the business’s Wikipedia page and stating it verbatim.
We always ask our internship applicants to tell us what they like about our digital marketing.
It’s great to be specific and give examples.
If you secure an internship, make the most of the experience. In terms of strengthening your capabilities, as well as making connections with employers, it’s the best next step towards your dream job.