Find out about internships for second-year undergraduate students.
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Summer internships
Paid summer internships are usually found in the business, finance, retail, pharmaceutical, law, engineering and IT sectors.
They are generally open to penultimate year (second year) students and advertised in the winter or spring before the internship starts.
If you are a second, third or final year undergraduate student, you are eligible to apply for a Career Lab UK summer internship or the Online Global Summer Internship Programme which are paid internships exclusive to Sussex students.
You can also look for summer internships and work experience using our sector guides or CareerHub. If you are a Sussex undergraduate you may be eligible for Career Lab, which includes UK summer internships and online global summer internships.
You could also try:
Internships with smaller organisations (SMEs) tend to be more flexible and less structured.
SMEs may advertise or be open to speculative applications where you take the initative and get in touch first. You can search for opportunities at SMEs via STEP.
Most international students will be able to work full-time during vacations, however there are some restrictions that may apply to you. Check your eligibilty and the term dates before you start work so you don’t exceed the hours stipulated by your visa.
Arranging your own internship
Sectors like international development, media, public services and environment tend not to offer structured summer internships. In this case, you can approach organisations speculatively or volunteer with them. Internships in these sectors tend to be unpaid.
If you are a second, third or final year undergraduate student, you may be eligible for funding to support an internship that you have arranged. 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).
Find out more about how to arrange your own internship.
The employer must be approved by Careers and Entrepreneurship.
Unpaid internships
All the internships we advertise on CareerHub are paid the national living wage as a minimum. However, unpaid internships are still common in some sectors, such as media, international development, politics and environment.
Read the TARGETJobs information to help you determine whether an unpaid internship is legal and if you would find one beneficial.
Internships abroad
You can use GoinGlobal (login via CareerHub) to research working abroad and find out where to look for vacancies. You may also be eligible for our online global summer internship programme.
If you choose to do an internship abroad, some countries require you to have an agreement between you, the employer and the university. In France this is called a Convention de Stage (CareerHub login required).
Undergraduate research scheme
Sussex runs a summer research scheme for undergraduates who are interested in PhD study and want to explore a potential career in research. Successful candidates receive a bursary to work alongside academics for eight weeks. Applicants must have completed one year of study and not be in their final year. Find out more about the Junior Research Associate (JRA).
Diversity internships
Some employers and organisations offer internship schemes specifically for diverse students, such as:
In partnership with Ambitious About Autism, we are supporting the Employ Autism campaign to increase employment opportunities for autistic students and graduates. Find out more about paid internships for autistic students and recent graduates.
Diversity internships are also offered in the some sectors.
Further help and advice
If you need careers advice you can book an appointment with one of our advisers via CareerHub.
You can:
- visit the Student Centre Welcome desk, 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- call 01273 075700, 9.30am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday.