What should an internship give you?

During their internship other academics have solved tasks such as: 

• Made a user survey, 30 interviews, analysis, and insights collection
• Made a proposal for a communication strategy
• Been part of facilitating citizen participation within e.g., city development
• Been part of creating and curating a newsletter
• Created templates for strategy- and delivery process
• Idea generation on how a company’s services can be exposed
• Been responsible for conducting user tests of new software

In this case your internship should give you concrete experience with tasks you would like to work with in your next job.

If you are a recent graduate, an internship can give you a full-time job on your resume as well as your first experience with working for a company 37 hours a week. Even though you might already have experience from a student job or voluntary work, a full-time internship in a company will give you something new.

If you have a lot of exciting theoretical knowledge an internship can provide you with a practical case for you to utilize the theoretical knowledge. The practical experience can be used to more specifically describe how your future employer can activate your knowledge in their context.

Your next step:

1. You have found your challenge: “I need more experience”. An internship should help you get the experience you are currently missing.
2. Write a list of 2-4 specific tasks which you would like to get experience with through an internship
3. Use the list when you start the next part of the process: How do you find relevant companies?

It might seem obvious that being part of a company will broaden your network. However, many jobseekers forget to use the internship to work more strategically with their contacts.

If you already know what company you would like to work at, an internship can be a great opportunity to get valuable new contacts in that company. Although there might not be any current job openings, your new contacts can recommend people you should talk to in similar companies, who can help you in your further journey – and your new contacts will then be able to put in a good word for you.

If you dream about a job within a field where it can be challenging to find an internship, you might need to approach things a little differently. This happens in fields like the media industry, journalism, or some organizations. In these cases, you can think more broadly about places that could be connected to the field you would like to work in.  If you are dreaming about a career in journalism but only know very few people in that field, you can instead look at larger companies working with communication. Usually there is at least one former journalist who knows someone you can connect with in the broadcasting industry.

Your next step:

1. You have found your challenge: “I need a bigger network”. An internship should then help you get the network you are currently missing.
2. Consider who or which profiles or professional groups you could benefit from getting to know.
3. Think about where you imagine these people work and write it down. This can be specific companies, industries, or job positions.
4. Write a list of 2-4 specific tasks which you would like to get experience with through an internship
5. Use the list when you start the next part of the process: How do you find relevant companies?

Although there are many open job postings on the various job platforms, there are many fields in which there a lot of competitors for each position. This happens in jobs within communication, culture and in generalist positions in public companies.

If you find it challenging to ‘win the competition’ an internship can help you strengthen your position. In many companies getting a job can become easier if they get to know you as an intern first. An internship could possibly lead to project-based position or a substitute position e.g., and then you are suddenly part of the company for a longer period.

Your next step:

1. You have found your challenge: “There is a lot of competition for the positions”. An internship should help you get one step closer to a company.
2. Write down what you need to do in order to get ahead of the other ‘competitors’. Are you missing experience with a specific type of task? Have you never worked in a politically run organization? Do you just need to meet the company to show your worth?
3. Think about where you could get the experience that you are missing. E.g., if you have never worked for a politically run organization you could apply for an internship in a municipality.
4. Write a list of 2-4 specific tasks which you would like to get experience with through an internship
5. Use the list when you start the next part of the process: How do you find relevant companies?

If you are unsure of your own competences and what you can offer a company, an internship can be the perfect place to practice.

If you do not have much experience with the labor market after finishing your studies, it can be hard to imagine how your academic studies can be translated to a job at a company. Your methods and ways of approaching a task is usually what the company cares the most about. This is more important than your experience with a specific theory or research result.

Your next step:

1. You have found your challenge: “I am unsure of my competences”. An internship should therefore be a ‘practice field’ for you to build your confidence in solving the type of tasks you would like to work with in the future.
2. Write down 3-4 tasks you have enjoyed working with previously – it could be in your studies as well as a student job. Has it been analyzing data, writing, conducting interviews or doing research e.g.?
3. Write down what tasks you would like to work further with. If you have enjoyed conducting interviews, you could offer a company to make a user survey?
4. Use the list when you start the next part of the process: How do you find relevant companies?

Do you find it difficult to take the first step?

In this case it could be beneficial to map all your competences and work with how they can be used. Many a-kasser and trade unions offer free courses to help you get started.

You can also start on your own and collect inspiration here:

• In this video from Copenhagen University about competences from university. The video is in Danish.
• The 8 general academic competences described by Dansk Magisterforening
• Aalborg University page with exercises and descriptions of academic competences. 

Unfortunately, some job seekers lose their motivation and find it hard to know how to take the next step in their job hunt. For some it also hits the self-confidence, and they start doubting their own abilities while looking for a job.

If you find yourself in that situation becoming part of something in a new work environment can be a great help. It will give you a lot of new energy to experience that people need you and your abilities.

Quite often your newfound energy will be visible in your job hunt too – even though it can seem like a lot of work to do an internship and keep applying for jobs at the same time.

Your next step:

1. You have found your challenge: “I lack motivation or self-confidence”. An internship should help you improve your self-confidence, motivation, or energy.
2. Spend 5 minutes writing down what tasks that gives you the most energy.
3. Spend another 5 minutes imagining what types of companies you would like to work at. Write them on the list.
4. Use the list when you start the next part of the process: How do you find relevant companies?