Find out how to research, arrange and apply for graduate internships in the UK and abroad.
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Graduate internships
A graduate internship can help you get a foot in the door and explore whether a particular role or organisation is right for you. Internships are usually short-term opportunities that may last for a few months to a year. All the internships we advertise on CareerHub are paid the national living wage as a minimum.
See the different ways to find internships below.
Advertised internships
Some employers advertise their internship positions for graduate. You can try searching for graduate internships using:
Arranging your own internship
If you’re interested in working for a particular organisation, you can approach them by making a speculative application.
To do this you can:
- approach an employer with a speculative covering letter and your CV
- search our sector guides to find employer directories and sector-specific job sites
- use networking to make contacts with potential employers.
Unpaid internships
Unpaid internships are still common in some sectors, such as media, international development, politics and the environment.
To help you determine whether an unpaid internship is legal and if you would find one beneficial visit TARGETJob.
You can contact us by email at careers@sussex.ac.uk if you have any questions.
Diversity internships
Some employers and organisations offer internship schemes specifically for diverse students, such as:
- Change100’s summer internships for graduates with disabilities and long-term conditions
- Creative Access’ graduate internships in the creative sector.
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.
Graduate internships in France and other EU countries
Countries such as France and Spain legally require an internship agreement, sometimes known as a Convention de Stage (CareerHub login required), to be signed by the employer, intern and University.
We are unable to enter into a contract with an employer once you have completed your studies. However, we are aware that employers in a number of countries insist on an internship agreement before the internship can take place. In this instance, we are happy to provide a letter of support to Sussex graduates requiring this. Contact us with the name and contact details of the organisation and details of the internship (including dates).
If you are looking to find an internship in the USA, you can find a full list of designated sponsor organisations for a J-1 visa.
International graduate internships
For a fee, there are companies you can use to arrange a work experience opportunity and visa for you. If you have found an opportunity independently, you can also pay an organisation to support you with your visa application – this can be helpful as the process can be complicated.
- BUNAC – internship programmes, in Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, China and South Africa
- CCUSA – internships in the USA, plus options in Canada, Russia, Africa, Latin America and Asia
- IST Plus – internships in the USA for new graduates and recent graduates with one year’s work experience.
Further help and advice
If you need careers advice you can book an appointment with one of our career consultants via CareerHub.
You can also:
- visit the Student Centre Welcome desk, 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- call 01273 075700, 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday
- contact us with your enquiry.