UK summer internship

Develop your work experience, earn money, and build your confidence on a paid summer internship.

What’s on offer

If you are a second, penultimate, third or final year undergraduate student, this is your exclusive opportunity to undertake a six-or eight-week internship with a UK employer during the summer vacation. All roles will start in June or July and are a great chance to:

• gain valuable paid work experience
• develop key transferable skills that employers look for
• explore different career options.

Last year, we advertised nearly 250 internships exclusive to undergraduates studying at the University of Sussex.

Read about Henry and Roy’s internship experience of working for Fenrix.

Key information

• This year’s internships come from organisations in a range of sectors, including charities and social enterprises, media production, PR and marketing, technology, software development, political parties and consultancy.
• Most are full-time, but part-time internships over a longer duration may be considered.
• There is a mixture of office-based, remote-working and hybrid roles.
• You are encouraged to apply early as vacancies may close at short notice.
• All advertising employers will have attended Disability Empowerment training by EmployAbility to ensure an inclusive, positive experience. Students can register with EmployAbility for more information and individual support.

How to apply

Browse and apply for Career Lab UK Summer Internships on CareerHub now.

Find an internship

You are encouraged to apply early as internships may close at short notice once the position has been filled.

Please carefully check each vacancy's closing date.

Working hours and pay

Most internships will be in Sussex or the southeast. They will be 37.5 hours per week, although part-time hours over a longer time period may be considered. For example, if you undertake a six-week internship, you can work 22.5 hours per week for 10 weeks instead of full-time. However, this will need to be agreed between you and your employer. 

All internships are paid at least the real Living Wage (£12 per hour UK rate and £13.15 per hour London rate) and you will be working on real projects. You will earn between £2,700 and £3,945, depending on whether you opt for a six or eight-week internship, and within or outside of London.

To be eligible for Career Lab funding, all internships must take place in the UK and you must be located in the UK (including for remote roles). If you cannot find an internship you are interested in, or will be located elsewhere in the UK for the summer, you may be able to find an opportunity locally that we can include in the programme. It is possible to arrange your own internship, but the employer must be approved by Careers and Entrepreneurship.

To gain global experience whilst working remotely from anywhere in the world, you can apply for the Online Global Summer Internship Programme.

Eligibility

Internships are a great way to discover different career options, including those not directly related to your current studies. Many of our roles are suitable for students from any degree course, with little to no work experience. Those which require knowledge, or a specific degree background, will say so in the advert.

• These opportunities are exclusive to Sussex second, penultimate, third and final year undergraduate students.
• If you are in year two, you can only accept either a UK Summer Internship or an Online Global Summer Internship or the Junior Research Associate Scheme.
• In your final year, you can only accept a UK Summer Internship or an Online Global Summer Internship.

Read about Suu's internship at the Monday Project.

Holidays and paying tax

You will be entitled to holiday. The number of days will depend on the duration of the internship. If you undertake a full-time eight-week internship you would be eligible for four days’ holiday.

Income tax and National Insurance will be deducted from your pay. There is no exemption for students working over the summer. If you will not be working again until next April, you can usually reclaim overpaid tax from HMRC.

Making good quality applications

To have the highest chance of securing an internship, before submitting your application, we would recommend that you:

• explore activities in the Work Experience Preparation Programme, which has been designed to boost your confidence and tackle imposter syndrome
• book into any relevant events run by Careers and Entrepreneurship
• look at our resources on applying for jobs (including CVs and cover letters).

Find out more about what our internship hosts are looking for in their interns.

Equality in employment

You are protected from discrimination in the workplace and through the recruitment process, and we can advise on disclosure issues and your rights in work. We have tailored resources available for our diverse student body. Find out more about your rights at work.

We offer extended appointments for students with a disability and/or long-term health condition, and care leavers. Email internships@sussex.ac.uk with any questions on equality in the workplace.

See more from Career Lab