Professional Internship Uk

Sectors – Description of duties
These are some of the most commonly requested sectors for work experience placements.

Administration

is available in many sectors and can be very interesting because you are able to get involved in a large variety of activity. You could work in fashion companies, firms which provide training courses to top managers of multinational companies, chambers of commerce, or businesses which organise events for embassy staff of London. You need to have good computer skills and most of all a very flexible attitude.

Advertising

is a very competitive area and you definitely need strong English skills to apply for this sector. London is famous for its often unusual style of advertising and a candidate with strong creative sense and the right skills and attitude can have an excellent experience which will look great on the cv. Placements are available in

Design
Account management

Architectural

companies often enjoy having a multinational staff as they can benefit from the training in another country that a candidate can bring. 2 students had their building designs sent forward to TV Channel 4's "Grand design" show. Of course must have great CAD skills and a portfolio of your work so far to present to the company at an interview. You can expect to be involved with any of the following

Model making
Correcting drawings
Presenting aspects of designs for projects the company is working on for both current or potential clients

Customer service

placements may be with national or international businesses and depending on your level of English. One recent placement had the following duties

Assist in any other area of the centre and cover other receptions in the centre as and when required
Act as point of contact for all internal client requests
Ensure all phones are answered according to the company script and within three rings and take and forward messages for clients as they require
Professional greeting to clients and usage of client names at all times to generate a professional and welcoming atmosphere
Set up and support meeting room and video conferencing facilities, in line with client request

Provide professional support to clients including secretarial services, e.g. photocopying, printing, laminating, binding and faxing services

Design

placements are available in many fields for a candidate with the right training. Graphic design with companies working on rebranding their client companies one student did a whole presentation for the city of Milton Keynes north of London. Fashion design whether as a pattern cutter or other skills you want to develop. Interior design with a company with international clients from Paris to Argentina. The most important thing is that you have great creative skill that the company can see from your portfolio which must accompany any application.

Engineering

placements may or may not be in London depending on the sector. Chemical engineers have been placed in laboratories testing water outside London, Telecommunication engineers in a Fibre optics company, Hydro engineers have worked on flood plains in south east England and construction engineers in building companies. An IT engineer worked with a company in London on a project based with Shell in West Africa it was a remarkable experience for him, but only possible because he was flexible with his dates and available for more than 3 months. Engineering placements are rarely available for less.

Fashion

Besides design there are many other aspects to the fashion industry for a placement. International fashion companies import clothes, offer placements in the marketing and sales side of the company and even in retail in either a department store or boutique type shop. Students in the past have worked in a company where Naomi Campbell walked in to see the new collection as Cherie Blair was walking out having been fitted for the new season?s clothes. You usually have to get involved in all aspects from the stock room to the showrooms, as when a magazine calls for 30 different pairs of trousers to be sent by courier 10 minutes later everyone needs to act fast.

Fashion design

candidates will have some experience/training already and be able to present a portfolio of their designs to the company. Companies normally base candidate suitability on the strength of students training and/or experience of designing and/or making ranges. Companies expect students to be fashion / trend aware with an excellent knowledge of the fashion market. Technical skills, such as pattern -cutting and sketching are preferred, but not always necessary. Computer-aided design skills would be beneficial but not essential. Students can sometimes expect strange hours from time to time if the company is preparing for a show. The fashion industry is full of colourful people and you need to be able to cope with strong personalities and how they express themselves which can be very direct Typical responsibilities can include the following:

Following research and continual awareness of market trends.
Assisting a designer/ design team in creating ranges.
Pattern cutting
Students may also be required to attend strategy meetings, if required.
General administration and computer skills, and use of graphic design software to illustrate the vision for the design.

Finance

placements are limited by FSA laws (Financial services act) and are not possible in banking and high finance sectors unfortunately. Some placements with equity companies researching the markets are available. You would contribute to opinion which is sent from the company to high level managers in top companies who would use it for their strategic work. Accountancy is available in a wide range of company types. Sometimes a placement may be in the department of a company in the fashion industry or an international college or it may be in an accountancy firm dealing with clients from around the world or just in London.. Candidates need to show that they have ability and previous experience and can?t expect to work on a companies live accounts without it. You may also be expected to do any of the following tasks

Basic book keeping
Data entry
Administration

Hospitality

placements are available for an unpaid internship in many 3- 5 star hotels in London. Of course the highest quality hotels can chose candidates with the strongest cv and level of English. Whichever grade of hotel you have a placement in you may be able to get involved in any of the following sectors

Food and Beverage kitchen staff and barpersons / waiting staff
Reception for Advanced speakers only with hotel training
Dining you may be a silver service waiter or learn how to do the ordering
Room service where you train in looking after the guests comfort in their rooms

The hotels try to give you as wide a range of experience as possible in the time you have and many students applying are at hotel management schools already or will proceed to them after the placement.

HR /recruitment

applicants will need good IT and communication skills. The type of role you can expect will certainly depend on your English skills and any previous experience you may have In previous HR internships in national and international companies, our students have developed their skills in knowledge of the supply and demand of HR within the London marketplace and played a very active role in all day to day activities. Duties within HR have included:

General administration
Contacting local businesses and dealing with their recruitment needs proactively
Overseeing CVs, including assessments of candidates suitability for jobs advertised and checking candidate details by email or phone
Updating HR database with new candidate information
Matching candidates' expectations with the clients needs
Involvement in administering payroll of temporary staff

IT

depending on your skills and experience we can find you a placement where you can both use your current skills and extend them. You may get involve with web design or programming, networking, installation or repair work. You may build databases or get involved with telecommunication companies. In some companies you will be required to deal with the customers directly , so would need good communication skills for this type of placement.

Law

placement, as UK law is not you area of training, you need to be realistic. Most tasks will be quite administrative but it allows you to work in an environment where you will be seeing and using legal language all the time. Placements have included the following duties

Receiving and making telephone calls to clients
Making photocopies of documents, correspondence and other printed matters
Organizing documents and case files and archiving when cases are finished
Drafting office memos
Preparing faxes or arranging for delivery of legal correspondence to clients and court.
Visiting the courts with solicitors and visiting clients when preparing cases
Taking witness statements
Research for cases

Marketing

placements are among the mostly commonly requested by students who have studied in the field. Companies both medium and small are willing to offer possibilities for you to learn about the marketing or products and services in their sector. One markets chocolate gifts on the internet, another is involved in health food bars, another markets videos as a way of training top managers. Sometimes smaller companies give the best placements in marketing as the work is very hands on and you can learn a lot quickly.

Media -TV and Film

company placements are available to candidates with suitable experience and qualifications. One student worked in a film distribution company which specialised in international films, while another TV producer had a placement with a production company which then sold the programmes overseas. The candidate was able to contact TV stations around the world. Research for films and documentaries is another area in which placements have happened. One candidate worked for a film school and had to contact all the top UK film directors to invite them to the showcasing of new work.

Public relations

is not just about mailing a press release and hoping for the best. It is about building a lasting relationship with key opinion formers who will ultimately help the brand succeed. For PR, a successful candidate will be confidant with excellent communication skills as you are dealing with English and how it is expressed verbally and in written form. Students with strong English language skills may assist in the promotion of the organisation's work through marketing communications and consumer campaigns. Duties may include:

Assisting in the development of public relations for clients.
Providing administration support to the team, including answering the switchboard, meeting and greeting clients, and management of meeting rooms.
Researching and arranging travel, including booking taxis, couriers etc.
Sending samples of goods to potential clients and magazines.

Placements may be available in many other sectors - please ask!