Every city has stories to tell of great leaders, intelligent innovators, and outstanding characters. The stories are all the more galore in a global and diverse city like London, and the glory inspires generations.
Capital Placement has been providing exemplary international internships in London for over a decade. In this journey, we’ve encountered our young professionals going through numerous roadblocks and how they navigate their way around it.
If you are invested in our London Summer Internship Program for 2025 or want to know more about the realities of interning in London, we’re hoping this article can shed some light on our previous interns and augment their internship experience in London.
What’s it like interning in London?
London is not short on professional success stories. The city invites people of diverse cultures to explore opportunities and towards career growth and success. However, London still presents some challenges in terms of cost of living, finding accommodation, and cultural and language barriers for first-time visitors. We asked some of our alumni about their experience of interning in London, including the highlights and challenges, and here’s what they had to say:
Jackie Nguyen (Former Marketing Assistant at NextUp Comedy): “One of the biggest challenges being abroad is just being alone and having to restructure your life. I’ve always tried to make connections through work and they have been supportive in my journey.”
Samaya Nuquayti (Former Front End Engineer Intern at Capital Placement): “The environment in London is so flexible. The minute I am finished with work, I head out to explore, and there is always something to look forward to. It’s very fun to be in the city because there is always something happening.”
Breaking cultural shocks within London
It is widely accepted that there is going to be a significant shift in the way we work. Previously, working remotely was seen as a perk and a way to attract the best talent. However, when we come out of this, working from home will be seen as an equal alternative to working from the office. Instead of working from the office for four days and one day from home, this could get flipped the other way around. From a business’s perspective, this reduces their costs and the employees have a better quality of life, it’s a win-win situation. One of the biggest positive outcomes from this pandemic has been businesses have started to realise working from home can be productive, and many are learning to trust employees to get their work completed without them needing to be in a traditional office environment.
As a result, many employers may now be looking for graduates to have different skills so they are able to work from home effectively. These include excellent organisational, communication and time management skills as well as being able to work independently. Although these are not new skills, the way they will be applied will be very different going forward and your ability to showcase these skills can help differentiate you from other candidates.
How Can I Find a Job in a Recession?
If you are wondering how to find an internship or a job, the easiest way is to look at what companies or industries are still performing well during the crisis, for example, Amazon and many other e-commerce companies. Businesses who offer online services are currently thriving due to the increase in remote working. It is likely that many companies in these areas may be hiring. Use job sites such as Linkedin, Google, or Jooble to search for current career opportunities.
If you are still studying or have recently graduated, be sure to make use of the many resources your university has to offer. Many students never even speak to the careers department at their university, but they often provide valuable support for both students and recent graduates to help you best showcase all of your skills. As well as this, career departments often post job listings specifically aimed at graduates as well as jobs being offered by the university itself so this is often a great place to start your job search.
Another alternative is to employ yourself by starting a business. There is no better time than a recession to start a business; you will have a natural advantage compared to the incumbents in the industry. You should have lower fixed costs, access to cheaper talent, office space and marketing, and your suppliers will be eager to get any business they can so expect lower costs than during a boom period. It is likely you will understand the technology and the latest trends in social media better than the incumbents and this will help you market your products or services more efficiently. Fun fact: CP was founded soon after the last recession
What Other Options are Available to me Now?
University
If the recession only lasts two years, doing a master’s could be a good option. The risk here is you are committing your time, effort and money in fees and lost earning, and there is no guarantee the economy will be in better shape when you finish your masters. However, having a masters degree will enable you to apply to higher-skilled and better paid roles and will help you stand out from the many other graduates trying to get a job. If going to university is something you are considering, check out my blog next week where I go over some questions you should be asking your university.
Carla Ferrero, Founder of career consulting firm Ni-Cons, is an expert in the field of career consulting and employability. She predicts 2020 would be a great year to go to university because universities will have a more flexible entry criterion, including extended application deadlines, as a result of a lower number of students applying. If you were sitting on the fence or have already made up your mind, this could be the best time to get into a great university.
Remote / Virtual Internships
We see first-hand how difficult it is to get internships and graduate jobs in this climate. However, remote internships offer a way to help you in finding a career. Employers looking at your CV, in the future, will be wondering what you did during these times to help develop your skills. If you can show them you managed to get yourself a remote internship, it will set you a step above others who did not make the most out of this time. Check out our blog on the benefits and drawbacks of a remote internship to find out more about them and whether they would be a good fit for you.
Going forward, there will be a lot more remote career opportunities opening up and it could be a viable alternative to working from an office. It is definitely worth considering in your career plan.
If a remote internship is not for you, don’t worry, there are still other ways you can make the most out of this time. You can perhaps learn new skills like programming or volunteer with a local charity; the worst thing you can do now is to do nothing and expect something to happen.
Final Thoughts
Although this pandemic may have changed all your plans and left you feeling uncertain on your next career move, there are still many career opportunities available to you. By participating in a remote internship or completing a masters, you may come out of this with new skills and a better career plan. Or you may decide to start a business which might just become the next Netflix- as we know it today, Twitter, or Uber.
