An internship is a period of work experience at an organisation, which can be anything from a week to several months. You should seriously consider undertaking one or more while you’re at university because doing so is probably the single best way to see how a professional workplace operates, get a real insight into a sector in which you’re interested in working, and give yourself a significant head start on getting a graduate job while you’re still at university.

If you’re interested in going into investment banking, you should be aware that internship programmes are the main way that graduates are recruited here. Vacation schemes, as internships are known in the legal world, are also an important part of getting a training contract at a City law firm. And if you want to a secure a graduate role at a professional services firm, you’ll find plenty of great opportunities to get some experience in this sector too. But whatever type of job you’re heading towards, an internship will help you on your way.

If you do an internship in any of the sectors listed above, you’ll be well-paid for your time and efforts. But you may still find unpaid internships on offer in some other areas of work, particularly the media, the creative industries and politics, but be aware that most unpaid internships are now illegal, so insist on being remunerated or, better still, deny law-breaking organisations the benefit of your skills and expertise altogether.

Internship application processes vary significantly. Smaller organisations are often open to informal and ad hoc applications, while the steps you’ll need to take to win an internship at a large graduate recruiter are often not that different to those needed to get a graduate job in investment banking, law, or in general.

Once you’re on an internship, what will it involve? Whether you do an internship in investment banking, law, professional services, or another industry, you’re likely to find that things will start off with some induction activities, followed by a mixture of sessions to help you learn about the organisation and meet its employees, and time as a junior team member on the job, with real tasks on real projects. But wherever you end up, it’s key that you go in determined to learn as much as you can, connect with the people you meet, do your best, and make the most of the experience.

So we hope we’ve given you some good pointers here that will help you find out more about internships and, with luck, secure one yourself. But you’ll find plenty more good advice across our website, particularly in our Careers & Education section and in our industry-specific sections.