Get Hired: Intern, Shadow, Volunteer

As Spring fades and summer approaches, many of you are leaving school, college or even graduating university.

How then are you to get hired?

You might have a wealth of experience under your belt, the omniscience of your chosen area of education and have gained industry experience from a sandwich degree (a year in industry) or apprenticeship scheme (1-4 years); if that’s the case, we’re sure you’ll be snapped up pronto.

However, if this is not the case, you’ll likely need to prove to an employer that you have experience before you can be hired. There are a few ways in which you can do this:

Internships

The Skinny:

Internships are a great way to gain experience and work in your chosen vocation to ascertain whether or not you enjoy the industry you think you want to work in. We’ll discuss this one first because, when people are venturing out into the world of work, this is usually the first word they come across.

It was once the case that uni-leavers would take internships and work for free to gain this experience and employers would pay travel expenses and sometimes meals in lieu of work received.

As of 2017 all of that changed. Employment law in the UK now states that all internships must be paid. “Great!” One might say, but not so great if the intern has never worked and the employer can’t afford to hire another ‘worker.’ It’s also usually the case that if a company can afford to hire, they will want experience. Chicken and…Eggactly.

Internships typically last anything from 4 months to a year.

If you are struggling to find an internship i.e. work for a period which extends more than a couple of weeks (and by the way: two weeks work experience from when you were 15, likely won’t cut the mustard); then here’s how you can nab one…

Get Me an Internship:

Internships themselves are competitive. They are now intended to be paid, as stated above. If you’re unpaid then this is a ‘volunteership’ or ‘shadow placement’ or part of your sandwich degree.

Let’s consider that the average London University has a total enrolment of 20,000+ students and being the city with the largest concentration of unis in the world, that means there’s a student population of over 400,000. Every year another batch graduates and your year, is old news. So stand out from the crowd. You’ll likely have to apply for ore than a few internships to bag one.

Make sure your *CV is on point. Include relevant info and if you’re not getting the results you want, have a *professional compile your CV* for you. They after all, know what recruiters seek.

If you’re struggling to find an internship or your first paid role then working as a volunteer could be your next logical step. It won’t be forever and you’ll then have industry knowledge and real work experience to list on your CV.

Tips:

• Write your best CV
• Multiple applications
• Stand out
• Volunteer / Shadow

Volunteering

The Skinny:

Most people have heard of volunteering (working without pay) and link it to charity. While non-profits are always looking for help and this can be an opportunity to gain vital experience while doing a good deed, companies also take on volunteers.

If you can’t get an internship, volunteering is the new go-to.

Some voluntary jobs can be found through volunteer programmes, others will be advertised online on *job platforms* and again, you can always apply speculatively to companies and offer your skills for free in return for experience and props on the CV.

There is no set time to how long one wants to volunteer.

If you’re offering your time for non-profits, some people see it as a way of life and volunteer regularly for non-profits as part of giving back. Those who continually give their time to the same organisation(s) would be considered as lifetime supporters and such dedication is highly admirable.

Get Me a Voluntary Job

When applying to volunteer for a charity or company the same rules apply. You can apply speculatively (contacting the organisation yourself) or in response to an advertisement for such. You’ll need a CV, cover letter and can-do attitude. While volunteering is not work, any organisation will likely need to know how many days or hours you can offer and when you’ll be on-site for safety reasons. Knowing this ahead of applying will be essential. After working on a voluntary basis you can then apply for paid roles or internships.

Tips:

• Send a CV and Cover Letter
• Know your availability each week

Shadow

The Skinny:

You may have decided an internship isn’t for you or you may have the foresight to realise what we’ve already discussed here and know that as you’ve never worked in your life, it’s unlikely you’ll skip out of college and straight into paid work. In many cases, individuals have worked but don’t know or can’t link that to what they’re trained in. Working in the local pub or having a paper round as a teenager has little to do with industry experience as a Graphic Designer but there are ways to showcase that you have worked and this will be in ‘how you present your CV’.

So what is a shadow placement? You may not see these advertised as frequently as Volunteer programmes, internships and placements. These are opportunities to shadow someone in the industry who has the job you seek. Working alongside them as a sidekick will help you to learn what they do and how they do it.

Shadowing it’s said is intended for a few days but it shouldn’t be ruled out that if all concerned are willing, then a set term, part-time could be assumed over a period of weeks.

Get Me a Shadow Placement:

You can apply speculatively for one of these. Meaning, if you don’t see it advertised, you can always contact a company and ask to shadow. The *interview process* will still stand. Because shadowing is extra work on the individual in the established role, this can be grueling on them. They will be working while taking you through the steps and explaining themselves. As such, it is usually the case that these are for shorter time frames and if you’re applying speculatively to put this notion to a company, they may well ask you for how long you intend to do this. Having an idea of how long you’ll shadow will make you appear organised and efficient.

Tips:

• Contact a company asking for work shadowing
• Send a CV and Cover Letter
• Know the time period

In addition …

Graduate Schemes

A graduate scheme is a training programme designed for uni grads by companies.

We’ve listed this towards the back of this article because not everyone has a degree and not everyone needs one.

Grad schemes typically extend 1-2 years so commitment will be required.

These are paid roles and specific requirements will be stipulated by the employer for the grad to undertake. You will need to have graduated university in order to apply for one of these.

Get Me a Grad Scheme

There are thousands upon thousands of applications for grad schemes to companies offering them, every year. In order to stand a chance, you’ll need to stand out.

Most larger companies offer graduate schemes, so if you feel you’re not there yet., haven’t graduated or don’t have a degree or perhaps you’d rather start in a smaller setting then a grad scheme may not be for you.

Grad schemes are usually well paid and as a trainee, you’ll be expected to commit to the term required and will have to meet the criteria. Most grad schemes request relevant degrees in the given field and a grading of 2.1 and up.

Tips:

• Send a CV and Cover Letter
• Add links to online portfolio / create a website or blog

If All Else Fails / I’m Ready, Get Me Hired

If you’ve been through the stages set out above and are still looking for employment or if you’ve tried the above and still can’t clinch the role you want then why not do as Andrew Horner did and create a reverse job application you’ll need to be social media savvy (who isn’t these days), Mr. Horner’s went viral after he uploaded it to Reddit.

While you’re working on finding work, why not create a profile with us and upload your skills. Bid on a Job Auction or create a Skill Auction today and let people bid on you. Fancy one-off work? – How about a One-Off Task. Earn straight away. Create your own success!

Still treading water? We’ve got you: consult The Job Auction directly via CV Clinic to help with advice or your CV or all aspects of the application process:

CV

• Our experts will create your bespoke CV for you, tailored to getting you your ideal role in your desired industry
• Advice on how to showcase skills on the CV to stand out, (even if you think you may lack skill set/experience)
• Choose from a variety of expertly designed CV layouts and select which one you’d like to be created for you
• Our experts will create your bespoke CV for you, tailored to getting you your ideal role in your desired industry

INTERVIEW

• In person, one hour, face-to-face advice tailored to you.
• 45 minutes interview (to gauge technique and offer improvement)
• How to dress, how to greet, how to be professional generally & how to answer questions & respond showcasing your best skills

HELP & ADVICE

• One page CV advice sheet
• Interview advice sheet