Summer internships and Year In Industry placements

Interested in undertaking a summer internship or a year in industry placement during your degree? The University of Birmingham has many resources that can help you!

Last year, I undertook a summer internship at the University of Birmingham and this year I am in the process of applying for an industrial placement. I have received a lot of support from the university, and today, I’d like to share this information for anyone looking to gain work experience while at university.

Careers Connect is the University of Birmingham’s system that can be used to view work experience opportunities and vacancies for jobs, to book careers appointments, and to sign up to careers events. Some events can include tips for writing CVs, tips for using LinkedIn, or career planning. The one-on-one appointments can be used to gain application advice, career advice or help with interview preparations. The website also has resources that give advice on many aspects of the job application process. You can also contact the Careers Network team at the university for further support.

The university also has a virtual CV checking platform that provides customised feedback on your CV. This a great tool to use if you need instant feedback.

Opportunities and support can also be found within your College or School. I study with the School of Metallurgy and Materials. My School offers an industrial placement support course to help those interested in undertaking a year in industry placement. The course and academic team can provide students with additional help in finding opportunities, completing applications, preparing for interviews and assessment centers, and preparing to start the placement. One thing that I found particularly useful about the course was that I was able to submit my CV and receive valuable feedback from academic staff on how to further improve it!

The School of Metallurgy and Materials also offers paid summer placements where students can undertake a research project. Last summer I undertook a research project on ‘Battery electrode slurries under flow’ where I worked with both the Birmingham Energy Materials Group within the school, and The Faraday Institution. I studied the behavior of battery electrode slurries under flow and investigated the possible methods of improving the behavior to enhance battery performance. The experience allowed me to refine my skills in research, data analysis, collaboration, presentation and more!

This year the university also has a sustainability internship scheme which also takes place over the summer. The scheme allows students to get directly involved with some of the globally recognized research groups at the university that are engaging with sustainability.

Lastly, the university offers the Go Global summer scheme which has a range of international summer opportunities including academic summer schools, volunteering, internships, and language and cultural courses. This is another great opportunity for students to gain valuable experiences and skills.