Events, services & resources

Work placements or internships can be:
Paid or unpaid
Length or 2 weeks up to 12 months
More likely to be structured

Work experience or work shadowing is likely to be:
Unpaid, sometimes expenses are paid
Arranged by the student on an individual basis

Volunteer work can be:
A wide range of hours worked from 2 hours per week, or month, sometimes during a vacation
Generally unpaid, sometimes expenses are paid

What's in it for me?

A placement is a great way to get first hand experience of a company and help you to discover if a particular career is for you.

Other benefits include:
The opportunity to network
Combining theory with practical work experience
Developing professional work habits
Could lead to other employment opportunities

Develop the skills that employers are looking for and make your application stand out from the crowd by taking up one of the hundreds of work placements advertised through the Careers Centre.

There’s no doubt about it, employers favour students that have taken work placements and internships. A recent survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) found that 62% of chief executive officers (CEOs) stated that that relevant work experience was the second most important factor when recruiting graduates.

The TUC have recently launched a website offering essential advice regarding internships.

View the internship vacancies on JobsOnline the Careers Centre's vacancies database.

Inspiring Internships opportunities for summer placements and graduate internships.

Frontrunners is the University's unique student placement scheme. All placements are based on campus. Being a frontrunner is more than just a part time job, it gives you the opportunity to gain real workplace skills and experience, along with training opportunities.

Santander, in partnership with the Careers Centre, is offering two-week long placements with the Colchester campus banking facility. This is open to all students. Please send a cover letter and CV to the Careers Centre by email to careers@essex.ac.uk

STEP A UK-wide programme offering undergraduates project-based work within small to medium sized businesses. This is a UK-wide scheme but if you are studying or will be living in Essex during the summer and would like to apply in Essex you can phone their local office on 01268 591436.

Graduate Talent Pool The government-funded initiative which advertises student placements and graduate jobs.

Prospects Work Experience

Target Jobs Work Experience Pages

SEO Internships SEO are a not-for-profit organisation that place undergraduates from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds in work experience placements

Employment Opportunities Internship Schemes for students with disabilities

TopInternships

iTraineeship.com

Milkround

Graduate Recruitment Bureau

fledglings.net

Gap Year Directory

Read Work Experience: Make Your Experience Count on Destinations. Please note that Destinations can only be accessed on networked computers on the University campus.

Free booklets to take away

Take away a free copy of TARGET Work Experience and Prospects Work Experience - available from the Careers Centre  - whilst stocks last!

EXODUS Careers Europe

Search the information about work experience worldwide on EXODUS.

Books

We have a number of books available relating to vacation work abroad. Please speak to a member of staff in the Careers Centre for further information.

Don't forget to look on JobsOnline our vacancies database

Economics

Government Economic Service Work Placements

Econ-Jobs

Government/Civil Service

Civil Service Jobs

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Work Experience

LG Careers advice about obtaining work experience in local government

Law

Pick up a copy of TARGET Work Experience Law from the Careers Centre - whilst stocks last!

Psychology

See the Psychology-Related Careers Leaflet in our download zone

Social Sciences

Social Science Workplace Experience Programme (Click on browse all current opportunities, which takes you to the search opportunities page. Select social sciences as the job function category, then press search.)

Teaching

See our teacher training pages

Voluntary Sector

See the Charities Leaflet in our download zone

View our pages on voluntary work

Going Global our subscription to Going Global gives you access to their database for international opportunities.

Prospects Country Specific Information information about work experience in over 50 countries.

IAESTE UK offer overseas placements to students studying engineering, science, agriculture, architecture and related fields, who are in their penultimate year of study.

AIESEC Work Abroad Programme Open to current students and recent graduates of UK Universities. Placements from 8 weeks to 18 months available in over 100 countries.

Australia

BUNAC Work Australia Programme

USA

BUNAC Work America Programme

Camp America

Fulbright Commission offer information about work exchange programmes/internships in the USA