6 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Internship in Security

Well done! You have secured a coveted internship in that private risk company you have always wanted. It is the first step in an exiting career. But how can you make the most out of this opportunity? Below are five suggestions from my own experience that I hope can help!

1.    Don’t treat it like a job! This is not talking about how professional you are, but more about preventing you from being exploited. While it can feel like you are really contributing to an organisation like a paid employee (and you often are!), you are NOT an employee with full salary, benefits etc. This can often get forgotten by companies and although they should know their rights, often it is up to you to prevent yourself from being exploited. Remember, internships are about getting a flavour of or introduction to the industry, the work that you could do as a fully paid employee and exposure to a network that you could draw upon in the future. To limit your potential for being exploited set yourself a time limit, such as 3 months, know your rights. Also keep in mind that got this internship, so you clearly have a good fit profile, so there is probably other internships, or an entry level job, somewhere else. Visit our Careers Page for more on careers and internships for students and graduates starting out in their career, or follow us on Twitter for regular postings of entry level roles and internships.

2.    Ask Questions. Internships are a great way to enhance your understanding of the industry or a specific role as you now have direct access to people working in it. Take advantage of this whenever there is an appropriate time! Ask everything from the type of tasks you would do in full time role to how the organisation works, or if you can shadow a full time employee for a few hours. While this is unlikely to get you a full time position, it can help you build up sound knowledge for future interviews, which in turn could get you the job!

3.    Showcase your talents. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you have a specialisation. Perhaps you are fluent in a second language and can read an article in Russian for your line manager, or you did your Masters thesis on a political system in a country that is now being looked at for a client. People you work with can often forget your CV once you have started your internship! This could help you get noticed or even lead to a short term contract!

4.    Save Copies of Your Work. If you wrote a report or contributed to a short analytical piece, save it in your records. Not only can this be used in future job applications as a relevant writing sample, but it can also highlight your own progression in the industry when you re-visit it a few years later.

5.    Get a reference. A reference from a line manager can often highlight skills that you were perhaps not aware of. This in turn can help boost your CV for future job interviews. If you are on good terms with your line manager and they give you a good reference, why not stay in touch and use them as a mentor?

6.    Think ahead. Doing an internship a good step in your career but it is not full time employment so you need to keep applying for jobs when you can. Visit our Careers Page for more or follow us on Twitter for entry level roles and internships.

While more can always be added to the above list, following these traits can go some way in helping you get the most from your internship.

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