Do you lack motivation to do an internship?

If you specifically look for management positions, it can be difficult to figure out how an internship could be relevant for you. It can be challenging to use your network to ask for an internship. And typically, it is not possible to do an internship in a manager position.

At the same time, it can be a timely process to hire a manager. However, the requirement of doing an internship does not change although you are close to getting job.

A possible solution to this could be trying something new in your internship. Maybe something you’ve always wanted to try. It could be in a different field where you can try out the role as an ‘ordinary employee’. It could also be in a topic you would like to update your knowledge on.

Some managers use their internship to try out new roles. Here you can read about Rikke, who would like to learn more about the role as self-employed consultant.

Rikke, 37 year old manager: My internship with consulting in a startup gave me new perspectives

"While I was in the process of applying for several management jobs, I was in contact with a startup that I thought was quite exciting and had some good perspectives. I have considered starting up as an independent consultant in the future, so I decided to offer them 4 weeks of 'consulting work'. Here I could be affiliated with them through my internship, and at the same time I ticked the box of having done an internship.

It was an exciting 4 weeks where I was able to share my knowledge of business development, hiring processes and general management - of huge value to the startup. At the same time, their style, ideas, and vision inspired me in my approach to leadership, which I have taken with me to my new job."

If you already have a lot of experience, some see it as problematic to be attached to a company for a 4-week internship. For many people with lots of experience from the labor market, internships can sound like something that is mostly for students or recent graduates.

While internships are of course a great way to give new graduates a much-needed experience boost, internships can also provide value to those with a lot of experience. For example, it can give you a free pass to try something new in an informal way. Have you always had a dream of working with volunteers or culture? Then you have the opportunity to try it out in a non-committal internship.

Many unemployed people with a lot of experience also use internships to update their professional skills or even to prove that they have kept up to date in their field, even though a lot has happened since they were trained in it. This is the case for Peter who, as a 56-year-old communications consultant, experienced scepticism from employers about whether he could work with video and social media:

Peter, 56 year old communications consultant: Through my internship, I put their scepticism to rest

When I became unemployed, my first thought was that I would quickly find a new job. Therefore, I didn't have to listen very carefully when my consultant at the Jobcenter started talking about internships. I didn't really see the point of it because I thought it was only for graduates who lacked experience.

As the rejections started coming in, I realized that I had to do something different. I found that with my age and years of experience, I couldn't convince employers that I was up to speed with modern forms of communication, such as videos for social media.

I decided to prove them wrong. I made a video presentation of myself, showing my skills and telling them that the workplace could try out my skills in a non-binding collaboration for 4 weeks. I sent the video to a number of companies, and several of them took the bait and invited me in for a meeting. It turned out to be a great internship, and after a wage subsidy, I'm now a permanent employee at the company. I don't think I would have gotten the position if it wasn't for the internship.

In some industries, offering internships is frowned upon. This is the case in industries where there is a lot of freelance and project-based work, and there is a fear that paid employment will be undermined by 'free labor' internships.

In these cases, you can try to find an internship in another industry instead. For example, focus on finding tasks that are similar to what you would like to do in your own industry. Or it can give you access to a network that you can use in your future job search.

For example, read how Lukas, as a journalist, got something out of an internship in a private company:

Lukas, 29 year old journalist: As a journalist, I entered the other side

"I wasn't keen on the idea of doing an internship in the media industry as I felt I was offering free labor instead of getting paid for my freelance work.

Since I couldn't really avoid internships, I applied to a medium-sized private company. They had a communications consultant who worked in press relations, and I was given the opportunity to help him with his work. I helped with press releases among other things.

During the four weeks, I got an insider's view of how private companies work with the media. This has given me a good foundation for my future job search. And I have to admit that I've also started applying for communication jobs in the private sector, and I've had several interviews."

For some, an internship seems like a disruptive element that gets in the way of your job search and the pursuit of your dream job.

The reality is that an internship doesn't have to get in the way of your search for the dream job. Your efforts to find an internship and your efforts to find your dream job don't have to be opposites – they can actually work together. If you are strategic in your approach, the internship can become a shortcut to the job you want.

For example, if you're mostly looking for advertised positions, you need to move to the unsolicited approach when searching for internships. Experience shows that the more you diversify your job search methods, the faster you'll get the results you want.

In addition to using the 5 steps to find an internship presented here on Academic Guide, you can also be inspired by Amira's approach. As a recent sociology graduate, she was struggling to get through to interviews for advertised positions:

Amira, recent sociology graduate: I used my rejections to find an internship - and it gave me a shortcut to my dream job

"I experienced a lot of rejections on my job applications. I got tired of it pretty quickly, and after a tip from one of my classmates, I started calling the companies every time I got a rejection on the jobs I really wanted. I would ask what I needed in order to get the position. Often the answer was something about ‘lack of experience’. Then I asked directly if doing an internship could be an option instead.

It was a really cool method that quickly gave me two possible internships. And before I knew it, I had started an internship at a research and analysis center. We've already talked about future opportunities and they really want to keep me on board - initially in a project position.

It's so great that the internship has given me a shortcut to my dream job!"

Some unemployed people may feel that it can be difficult to offer an internship of only 4 weeks. It can feel like you don't have time to offer real, valuable work and are instead a burden to the company.

However, the reality is that 4 weeks is not too short for either you or the company to get the most out of an internship. If you make sure that your tasks are concrete and project-like, you can easily offer the company a concrete piece of work that is of great value to them.

In 4 weeks, you can also easily prove that you are both a hard-working and skilled employee and that you socially fit well in the workplace.

If you've had a really good collaboration and you'd like to continue it, the company can also apply for a new internship if the job is not forthcoming.

Read more about the requirements for a new internship in the same company

Find the requirements under the drop-down menu "How many times can I do an internship or wage subsidy?

Lisbeth, 42 year old anthropologist: I was able to do surprisingly much in just 4 weeks

"I was really sceptical about doing an internship of only 4 weeks. The last time I started a new job, the onboarding lasted a whole month and I didn't do a real work for the company until after that month.

That's why I was quite critical when I was offered an internship in an administration department in the City of Copenhagen through the Jobcenter. Here I was to examine the results of a large user survey that they hadn't had time to look at themselves. I accepted the internship, so I got it over with and got some hands-on experience with SurveyXact for my resume.

After the first day's mandatory introduction, tour and computer handover, I was thoroughly familiarized with the task by my internship supervisor. And then it was time to get started. I was surprised at how quickly I got some real work done, and I actually managed to finish the analysis before the 4 weeks were up. Along the way, I also had time to network with my new colleagues, and I made some good contacts in the office that helped me in my job search."