Ready for take-off? Launch your career on an innovative internship

Oliver Sidwell from Higherin, the graduate platform, said: “Traditional placements often involved basic office functions. However, the placements we are seeing now put students at the centre of work that shapes global industries. They gain insight into how major brands operate and can test skills and explore transformative career paths in a way rarely offered in the past.”

Kirsten Barnes, chief executive of Bright Network, agrees, calling internships “a proving ground for the skills and experiences students want to develop”.

November is peak internship season with hundreds of placements open for applications, so here are eight of the most innovative internships presently available.

Disney+ film, TV and marketing: Use data insights to develop marketing strategies for entertainment brands from Pixar and Marvel Studios to National Geographic and Disney+. Applicants must be second-year students on a placement year course.
Salary: £28,000

Eco Age: Support creative and communications projects for the responsible fashion industry. The placement offers the chance to contribute to a global PR consultancy and growing media brand.
Salary: £27,000

Mercedes-AMG high-performance powertrains finance placement: Two roles available in management accounting and financial accounting, working in the finance function behind the World Championship-winning Formula One hybrid power units.
Salary: £29,000

British Airways emerging talent: Based at the airline’s Heathrow headquarters, interns spend ten weeks in key business departments. Applicants must have a minimum 2.2 predicted degree.
Salary: £26,000 pro-rata

BAE Systems naval architect summer internship: Developing and testing advanced vessels for the Royal Navy, this course gives aspiring engineers an opportunity to influence the future of maritime design. Louis Hollington, 26, undertook the internship while studying a marine technology degree at the University of Plymouth and is now a naval architect.

“Seeing a vessel I’d worked on go from drawing board to production was a proud moment and something I’ll never forget,” Hollington said.

“It also confirmed that this is the career I want to pursue. I’d recommend an internship to anyone looking to gain real-world experience alongside their studies.”
Salary £24,300 pro-rata

Louis Hollington undertook a BAE internship while studying a marine technology degree and is now a naval architect

BAE SYSTEMS

Hilton business placement: Support the hotel chain’s collaboration with Small Luxury Hotels, managing relationships with some of the world’s most exclusive destinations.
Salary: £26,000

Porsche digital and social media PRG (Porsche Retail Group) placement: Working with the digital and social media manager, interns will create content and track performance across social media and digital platforms.
Salary: Billed as “competitive”

NBC Universal international broadcast media operations placement: Learn how to move TV from studio to screen. Interns support production schedules and create global broadcasts.
Salary: £27,000

Tips on making an internship work for you

The number of students applying for internships has almost doubled in the past two years, with an average of 109 applicants per place. Here’s how to stand out from the crowd.

How long? If your degree has a placement year, seek out a year-long or two six-month placements. If not, consider summer placements or shorter bursts of work experience.

Not sure what you want to do for a job? Apply for general business internships which offer rotation around different departments.

Go over and above on preparation: Create a strong CV and update your LinkedIn profile to align. Gather letters of recommendation from your professors and other relevant professional contacts.

Build your experience: Online internships are controversial but can prove an interest in a sector before you apply for in-person work. Search the National Careers Service, Prospects or graduate platforms.

Treat your internship as a long interview: Companies use internships as a talent pipeline so use the entire placement to demonstrate your skills and suitability for a permanent role.

Can’t find what you want? Speculatively apply directly to companies to ask if they are able to provide you with work experience. Include your CV and a covering letter on how you can help the organisation.

‘It gave me a breadth of knowledge across the business’

Tom Green undertook the British Airways summer internship and is now an operations support manager for the airline. “My passion for aviation started from an early age when I visited air shows as a child. I was fascinated by aircraft and the travel industry and knew it was an area I wanted to explore as a career,” the 26-year-old said.

“The internship gave me a breadth of knowledge across the business as it allowed me to work in areas like the Global Learning Academy, sustainability and flight operations. More importantly, I built a network of colleagues that I still rely on today.

“Professionally, the experience gave me confidence in my abilities and helped me understand the scale and complexity of airline operations. On a personal level, it taught me how to adapt, communicate and push myself outside my comfort zone.

“The learning and development opportunities are invaluable and if you’re considering it, my advice is simple: go for it.”

Six from the best

Juliette Enser ensures businesses play by the rules and leads efforts to clamp down on illegal cartels as executive director for competition enforcement at the Competition and Markets Authority. With a longstanding career in competition law, joining the Office of Fair Trading in 2010, she shares lessons on playing fair at work.

1. It’s easier to prevent a problem than to resolve it. This is my No 1 piece of advice to my team and to businesses who ask about easy things they can do to avoid becoming a case that lands on my desk. If you speak to competitors, stop and think about what you share.

2. Don’t feel limited by your current skills. If there’s something you’re not good at, work out how to get good rather than limiting yourself. That’s true for experienced people too — we all have something to learn.

3. Stick to your guns but be pragmatic. Sometimes that means navigating the long road, other times it’s about unlocking impact fast.

4. Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise. There’s only so much you can do in a day. Focus on what matters most and where you can have the biggest impact.

5. Creative collaborations can be powerful. Some believe competition law prevents all collaborations — it doesn’t. We’ve welcomed joint efforts to tackle issues from climate change to cancer. Our door is open if you can benefit in similar ways.

6. There’s always room for improvement. Look at how to go about your work to bring the greatest benefits while minimising costs to businesses, and in our case, the taxpayer. Ultimately, this mindset makes you better at what you do.

Can’t get no satisfaction on local job scene

A third of people in England are dissatisfied with local job opportunities, according to research. The findings from Carnegie’s Life in the UK index show unhappiness with local job opportunities has risen by ten percentage points in just two years. Income, area deprivation and disability status are the biggest factors influencing someone’s overall level of wellbeing. Sarah Davidson, chief executive of Carnegie UK, said: “Many people in England are dissatisfied with local life.”

Something is rotten in heart of business

It’s the latest trending workplace term, with 82 per cent of professionals claiming to have witnessed “culture rot” in their organisation. The phrase refers to the slow erosion of culture and values that once made an organisation successful, leading to a dysfunctional work environment. Among the strongest indicators of culture rot are the removal of incentives and poor collaboration across the company, according to Robert Walters, the recruitment firm. Lucy Bisset, a spokeswoman, said: “When values erode and morale dips, businesses lose their edge.”

Mind the ‘authority gap’ among bosses

Almost two thirds of managers feel they lack power and authority at work despite being responsible for team members. The phenomenon, termed the “authority gap”, includes lacking the power to influence and make key decisions autonomously, control budgets or shape team objectives.

Managers with one to three years’ experience are most likely to see themselves as “fauxthority figures”, according to Breathe HR. “We must recognise line managers as changemakers, who play a vital role in organisations,” Phil Coxon, managing director of the business, said.

National Theatre seeks backstage stars

Applications are open for three National Theatre training programmes designed to equip the next generation of backstage professionals. Backed by a partnership with the Bank of America, the programmes include introduction to stage design, nationwide young technicians and “how to be a producer”.

Each course takes place at the National Theatre Skills Centre on London’s Southbank. Kate Varah, co-chief executive, said: “The true craft of a performance goes far beyond what we see on stage.” Apply by December 1 via the National Theatre website.

Kate Varah

RANDY SHROPSHIRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR NATIONAL THEATRE IN AMERICA

Appointment of the week

The Independent Football Regulator is seeking to appoint a deputy director, chief operating officer (finance). Established to protect and promote the sustainability of English football for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve, the regulator supervises clubs against a licensing regime and sets standards for clubs nationally.

The role requires an exceptional strategic leader to provide management of all financial, commercial, people and broader corporate activities within the IFR, providing expert advice and support to the business at a time of organisational set-up.

The chief operating officer provides direct leadership to the corporate teams that cover the key areas of the operations of the IFR. The successful candidate will determine and designate tasks and make decisions about key business priorities, and is accountable for ensuring policies and operational processes and procedures are effective, reviewing and amending as necessary.

As an executive member of the IFR board, the chief operating officer will ensure robust financial stewardship, oversee effective governance and drive value in decision-making, enabling the organisation to achieve its objectives.

Apply by Wednesday, November 26 at appointments.thetimes.com