Rosetrell Felipe inspects the internships available to students, both at undergraduate and graduate level and what benefit they serve.
Yes, you read that title correctly. Whether you’re a science major, a law major, an English major or any major for that matter, you can apply for, and excel in, a business internship. Freebies, anyone? Recruitment fairs are places where you can get information on companies, the jobs they offer and tips for what you should include on your CV to make you more appealing. These are invaluable opportunities which take only your time, not your money. Attending companies also distribute plenty of free merchandise to promote their brand and keep them on top of your mind: a free power-bank to charge up your phone on the go; notebooks (to take notes, obviously), and lots of free pens, pencils and highlighters to fill your empty pages with refreshing information! Water bottles are also a standard, helping you towards your goal of staying hydrated after a night out - and so much more! There is no loss in this scenario.“it isn’t just an article imploring you to read on about the “20 Best Things Hiring Managers Look for in…”,”I, as many reading this article have possible also done, visited a Business Graduate Recruitment Fair held in the O’Reilly Hall on the 26th September. While I am not graduating anytime soon, the thought occurred to me - what do I have to lose? In fact, I gained so much more knowledge than I thought possible. I received valuable information on individual companies, their recruitment processes and career development skills in general. Speaking one-to-one with human resource managers and current employees helps you understand what companies look for - it isn’t just an article imploring you to read about the “20 Best Things Hiring Managers Look for in…”. You get to physically speak with a professional from the other end and hear about what they look for in candidates specifically. An added benefit, of course, is the show of face. One can expect that making a positive first impression may work in your favour, should you ever to be interviewed by the same person. Also, it must be reinforced that I got lots of free notebooks, pens, USB sticks and… socks? Which, let’s face it, is essential for returning to another long and expensive academic year.
“…you don’t have to have a business degree to do an internship in certain strands of business…”.The careers fair gave me the chance to speak with a wide array of different companies from various sectors of industry. One company that stood out prominently was RSM. I was engulfed in a conversation with a second year graduate in marketing. In our conversation, she stated that “…you don’t have to have a business degree to do an internship in certain strands of business…”. She further clarified her point when she revealed to me that she had achieved a degree in History. This statement stood out as it shows that anyone can apply for a graduate or internship program for streams in business with a degree in other disciplines. Last week, I attended a Placement Insight Day hosted by KPMG. Their spiel focused on internships and what they offer to students as a company. Most intriguing was the different strands of work: taxation, audit and advisory. KPMG train you to the highest degree to achieve success in your assigned role. They have a designated “Business School”, hosted by themselves, where one can take classes to further their understanding in a chosen field. An appealing fact about applying for an internship with KPMG is that they do not require candidates to have relevant experience. Additionally, KPMG was awarded the Best Internship Program 2018 by gradireland. So, the question remains, why should you apply for a business internship? They can open so many doors for you. They enhance your skills and help you to build your C.V. You can apply your experience gained from a business internship to any sector, and perhaps even open up avenues to start up your own company one day. Here is a quick list of some companies and public bodies which hire summer or full year interns summer:“The Big Four”: KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, EY
- Central Bank of Ireland
- Grant Thornton
- SMBC Aviation Capital
- RSM
- Microsoft
- Hedgeserv
- RBK