5 reasons to consider an internship

Internships in Australia are short-term work placements that can provide you with valuable industry experience to prove your worth to any prospective employer.

But internship benefits go far beyond this. They can give you the experience and insight you need to kick-start your career, and you may even be lucky enough to gain employment through your internship placement! Here are a few reasons to get you thinking about why an internship program may be right for you.

One of the top internship benefits is the chance to build real-world skills. Completing an internship in Australia will give you the practical experience that most future employers will want you to have. You can put into practice the skills and knowledge you have gained while studying and be involved in real projects – with real challenges and outcomes.

If you want to stay here to work after you finish your studies, completing an internship in Australia can also be a good way to experience Australia’s workplace culture first-hand. 

Internships demonstrate your ability to transition from university to the workplace and may put you ahead of other candidates who have little or no work experience.

Internship opportunities also give you the chance to ‘try before you buy’. It should give you a good idea of what to expect in your chosen field. It will help you to identify what you like most, your abilities and any areas for improvement. So, don’t be afraid to share your ideas, ask questions and learn from your mistakes during your internship.

Doing an internship in Australia is also a great way to gain confidence in your role. You will learn about different aspects of the company and gain a broader understanding of the entire operation, which will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to ‘talk the talk’ in any future job interviews or when meeting industry leaders.

Another internship benefit is the chance to meet experienced professionals who can teach and guide you through your internship. Internship opportunities will probably expose you to professionals of all levels in your chosen field, so ask questions and try to gain as much knowledge as you can.

Make connections with your colleagues. Establishing good work relationships might help you land a job or get a recommendation that will steer your career on the path to success.

The time you spend at your internship in Australia can be included as work experience on your resume, which is another excellent internship benefit. Be sure to list the tasks you completed, along with achievements and highlights from your internship experience. Your direct report may even provide their details so you can list them as a reference.

Most internships in Australia are provided by employers who want to support young people starting their career journey by giving them genuine employment experiences that end in real job outcomes.

Thankfully, finding an internship in Australia is easy! There are lots of places you can go to discover internship opportunities and find the one that’s right for you.

One popular place to find internships is on jobseeker websites, such as Jora, SEEK and Indeed. LinkedIn also has its own job platform, which you can use to find internship opportunities. There are also specialist internship providers in Australia who may charge a fee for their services. 

You can also approach employers directly. Some may have official internship programs you can apply for, while others may arrange internships on an ad-hoc basis. You can email their HR or administration team to ask about internship opportunities or check the company website for more information. 

Finally, you can also get in touch with your university. Your careers team or faculty advisors may be able to connect you to internship opportunities you might otherwise not know about and can give you specialised advice on finding an internship near you. 

If you’re interested in completing an internship in Australia, you might be wondering whether it will be paid or unpaid. 

While internships in Australia can be either paid or unpaid, there are specific rules about what you can do in an unpaid internship. For instance, you can’t be asked to complete work a paid employee would usually do. Any tasks you complete should be general and should further your learning. If the work you undertake benefits the business, it’s likely you should be paid.

You can find out more about unpaid internship rules on the Fair Work website.

Thinking of an internship after your study? You may need overseas visitor health insurance.

Our Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) includes a range of medical services and expenses to help you stay healthy during your stay. Our OVHC meets the Australian Government's requirements for adequate health insurance for the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) and Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).