Work placements

Internships and Placements

Internships and placements provide you with a unique opportunity to try a job or career in a particular sector, gain relevant skills and build a strong network. Both types of work experience are usually undertaken for a fixed period of time, anywhere between a week and 12 months.

All internships and placements are advertised on the Employment Zone digital jobs board.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another great way to get experience and help many good causes at the same time. Discovery SVS have a variety of volunteering opportunities available to students.

Pay

When looking for work experience opportunities, it’s important to read the fine print on pay. Some opportunities are unpaid, while others are paid. The rate of pay will vary from employer to employer.

If an internship is over 70 hours, we advise that this is paid, at least the national minimum wage. This can be complicated and varies depending on your age. Visit the Government National Minimum Wage webpage for exact rates.

Facing barriers to gaining work experience?

Our Career Boost project offers tailored careers support to Swansea University students who are facing additional barriers to gaining work experience. Additional support and guidance is available, for more information visit their webpage.

Why should I complete an internship, placement, or volunteer? What are the benefits?

• Enhance your career prospects. These are all useful ways to help you develop professionally. They’ll help to provide you with great experience to put on your CV and make you stand out from a crowded market when it comes to applying for competitive graduate jobs.
• Grow your network. Throughout your internship, placement, or volunteering, you’ll develop your professional relationships with colleagues and clients. This network can be invaluable when it comes to entering the graduate jobs market.
• Discover the real working world. Having real responsibilities in a real workplace will help you develop and grow. Plus, getting used to the routine of work is a great habit, all whilst gaining industry-level work experience before graduating.
• Improve your academic abilities. Enhancing your skills set by gaining work experience provides you with real life insight, which can be transferred into your academic performance and help you achieve better grades.

If you have any questions, please contact us on employmentzone@swansea.ac.uk