Kickstarting Your Career in London: Why an Internship in the UK’s capital is so Valuable

If your eyes have landed on this article chances are you are searching for an amazing uni-grad experience. 

If so, congratulations! 

All the eye strain and sleepless nights have equipped you with useful industry-related degree knowledge. Although now it’s time to put it into actual use.

The reality of the post-grad job market is quite unstable. That said, employers remain unanimous that although a degree looks good on a CV, it comes second to practical skill. 

However, for the majority of university graduates, finding a job has turned into a Catch-22 paradox. After all, I’m sure you’ve all heard the infamous: “you need experience to find a job in order to gain experience”. Luckily for you, internships have exploded in popularity and stand proudly as an accessible employability booster! 

Let’s start with some facts and figures. 

Your CV only has 7 seconds to impress your future employer… broadly speaking. While employers skim through your CV, they are looking for that one eye-catching highlight to stop them in their tracks. One that will make them lose their sense of time. Thus, the more highlights they discover on your resume, the more time they spend on it.

When interning you spend time on your craft to win the interest of the employer. And your work experience remains the most solid testimony of your passion and skills. 

It gives you a chance to swim at the deep end of things and come to conclusions no textbook can offer. Only in such a scenario can the reader of your CV understand your actual value as a company asset. 

Whatever the field, an internship is your secret weapon to pave the path to a future career. 

After figuring out your preferred industry, it’s time you pinpoint the ideal environment where you can thrive. As it often turns out, even our most beloved homelands can be too narrow for our dreams. That’s why it’s good to play it safe and pick an ‘all-rounder country’. Somewhere diverse, well-established in every industry and with lots of opportunities ahead. 

A top pick that hasn’t come off the charts in a very long time (and doesn’t plan to do so) is London, UK. 

Truth be told, it would be lazy to list all of London’s great generic qualities. Instead, let’s turn our heads to specific industries for a moment.    

Like the “jack of all trades” this city is, the City of Royals attracts world-wide, world-class talent. As such, over the years it has constructed a vast international industry playground. 

Aspiring architects, for example, can sample ideas from masters of past and present. On one street corner you’ll gaze in awe at Sir Christopher Wren’s St. Paul Cathedral. Mere minutes later you might be sketching the outlines of Norman Foster’s ‘The Gherkin’, the famous bullet-shaped skyscraper that shoots towards the sky. 

London is awash with culture too; no doubt about it. Since the inception of London’s first art gallery on its East End back in 1812, the capital has erected hundreds of galleries and opened over 1,500 exhibition spaces. 

Regardless of your taste, both the graffiti arti-graced streets of the East End and halls of the Royal Academy of Arts will accommodate creative spirits.

Same for rising financial analysts who will be getting goosebumps just by catching sight of J.P. Morgan’s London headquarters. For centuries London has been a hotbed for traders and economists. For that reason alone, the city holds the record for the largest tech-fund beneficiary for 2019. Nearly ten billion dollars has flowed into London’s tech business landscape, leaving city business in dire need of expert market analysts to handle that cash flow.

The main takeaway here is: you can never get enough of London. Despite the depiction of the city as an antiquated Victorian capital, many are surprised to find out that London is a leading developer in tech for social good. Given that you’ll be struck by London’s cultural flair and glamour, the city’s advancements in sustainability and anti air pollution will (literally) go under your nose. 

It’s easy to daydream about landing the perfect job from your first application (we know from experience). But before becoming a big shot you must consider a bunch of unexpected variables.

No matter the industry, companies are notorious for their strict and prolonged recruiting processes. Depending on your industry, you could wait a good 49 days before the long-awaited answer slides in your inbox. In addition to this, you need to follow CV industry standards and do background checks on each company. As well as familiarise yourself with a company’s ethos; and go through needless hassle just to gain some industry-specific experience. 

London, as any other metropolis on earth, is becoming extremely competitive for fresh graduates who are all clambering to climb the success ladder. Fortunately, agencies like Beyond Academy will guide you from point A to point B. From writing an immaculate resume to discussing your career goals with a personal career coach. Beyond Academy manages the front-end and back-end of your internship process; taking all the stress out of applying for internships.

When you entrust your career goals with Beyond Academy, you’ll be working with career experts who’ll secure you a placement based on your career aspirations. In the meantime, there’s a plethora of professional tips awaiting you. Those will come in handy even after your internship is over. 

Once you are on the internship track, it’s time to meet the Beyond Academy team. As noted earlier, an internship is the hallmark of your CV, so you must make the most of it. In London, our community team will welcome you and help you to navigate through London. They’ll be ready for whatever issues or questions you may have. 

After a quick introduction to your fellow Beyond interns, it’s time you crack on with that placement. While you are studying the atmosphere of your new office, Beyond Academy events will be running in parallel, so you can join if you want to spice up your schedule. 

In the end, you will have tasted the best of both worlds – London’s vibrant cultural life on one hand, and on the other, the city’s renowned career experience. 

Your experience shouldn’t be decided on a toss of a coin, and London is an indisputably safe bet. With its multinational community, London’s historic setting fluently interacts with hundreds of cultures settled in all its four ends. 

And, the city’s professional landscape is as diverse as the city’s population!

Of course, as with any travel you may feel homesick. But don’t be daunted by London’s antiquarian appeal! Over 300 languages are currently spoken in its streets; food festivals assemble the finest of international cuisines; and London’s summer music festivals will most likely showcase musicians even from your home country! 

To keep you even more engaged in the art of making international friends, Beyond Academy will host community events and trips to help you seamlessly bond with fellow interns and locals. 

A Beyond intern can be anyone – from a dogged journalist to an engineering visionary. To find out what being a Beyond Academy intern is really like, check the plan for Beyond’s London internship program.