Internships are a great opportunity to gain experience, put into practice everything you have learned during your studies and acquire different interpersonal and social skills. They also help you decide in which area you would like to work after graduation.
Most common conditions
An internship can be a paid or unpaid position. If it is unpaid, it is considered a voluntary activity and therefore does not provide any income. However, in some cases the employer may pay for travel expenses or provide food during the internship. Normally, the duration of internships depends on the type of internship: short-term internships last between one month and three months; long-term internships last more than three months.
Internships can be in different fields such as medicine, law, public relations, business administration, etc., but also in some non-profit organisations such as NGOs fighting for human rights or the protection of animal rights, etc.
Universities usually offer students various internship opportunities both within their own university and abroad (e.g. in other countries). So if you are looking for internships abroad, don’t forget about the Erasmus Mundus programme, which offers scholarships to students who want to do part of their studies at one of our partner institutions in Europe.
Requirements
To be eligible for an internship, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be enrolled in a degree programme during the application and placement period.
- Be a national of the European Union or, in the case of international students, be able to prove that you have a residence permit in the country.
- Proof that you have the required level of the language you will use during your internship programme. This is usually done through a level test.
- To receive an international scholarship, you must have been accepted by a company or institution for an internship and not have previously received a scholarship for an internship as a university student.
Benefits
- Develop knowledge and skills
- Strengthen your professional skills
- Familiarise yourself with work placements
- Improve your qualification for certain types of jobs
- Gain experience in the profession
- To increase self-confidence and self-esteem
- improve communication skills (including foreign languages)
- To become familiar with the working culture
- Develop good working habits
- Gain a better understanding of organisational culture and dynamics within companies, etc.
Tips
An internship is not just an additional course at university, but a real job that requires commitment, responsibility and dedication. If you really want to make the most of this opportunity, these tips will help you:
1) Always arrive on time, even if this means getting up early or arriving at work later than usual. This is especially important if you have an internship outside your home city, because you don’t want to miss out on any opportunities by being late.
2) Be professional from day one You are representing your university, so always act professionally in front of your colleagues and supervisors. Make sure your appearance is neat and tidy every day – this way you will be perceived as someone who takes their job seriously and cares about their appearance.
3) Be respectful to all staff members, especially those who are more experienced than you, because they can give you very good advice for future internships or jobs after you graduate.
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