Building experience during your middle years helps you develop career-specific skills and strengthen your professional profile. There are many ways to gain work experience during your studies, whether or not you're doing a placement year.
Summer internships
Summer internships typically last 6-12 weeks. They give you structured work experience with an organisation.
Many formal schemes target students in their penultimate year, as part of their graduate recruitment pipeline. This makes it a good time to apply. But opportunities exist for all middle years. Smaller companies in particular are often more flexible about your year of study. For competitive sectors like investment banking, consulting, and some areas of technology, a summer internship is often a crucial step toward securing a graduate role.
If you're looking for an internship in Europe, you may need a convention de stage. Find out more about these and the University's policy on them.
Internships advertised on MyFuture will list year group eligibility requirements.
Bath Insights internship programme
The Bath Insights internship programme is open only to our first- and second-year students. It provides work experience across various University departments on campus. You'll be paid and get free accommodation for the whole internship. These internships are designed for students with little or no prior work experience, so the application process is made as inclusive as possible. There's one Bath Insights recruitment round each year. Applications usually open in January, with assessments/interviews in early spring. Internships run in June and July. Check the Bath Insights page for the full timeline.
Find out more about Bath Insights
Spring Weeks and Insight Days
Spring Weeks and Insight Days are usually aimed at first-year students. But some employers are flexible, especially for students on longer degree courses, or they offer opportunities for students in other years.
These programmes last between one and five days and usually take place around Easter. They're common in banking, finance and professional services. You'll get an overview of specific firms, meet employees, and get hands-on experience with typical workplace tasks. Because they're short, you may be able to attend more than one.
Employers usually advertise these opportunities from late August to January. Many deadlines fall in December. Making a good impression at an Insight event can improve your chances of a future internship or placement.
MyFuture is a good place to start finding these opportunities.
Micro Internships
Our Micro Internship programme offers one- to five-day learning and development opportunities. It's only open to University of Bath students. Micro Internships are paid and may take place remotely or in person, depending on the employer. Internships run at the end of the semester, so they don't clash with your studies. This means you can gain work experience even with a busy academic schedule.
Find out more about Micro Internships
Part-time work
Part-time work gives you regular income while you study. It also builds valuable transferable skills. Whether you work in retail, hospitality, or administration, part-time work shows you can balance commitments. It often leads to more responsibility over time.
Many University departments hire students, including Campus Services, Professional Services teams and academic departments.
You can find part-time jobs, including University roles, on the SU jobs board
Self-employment
Self-employment can mean freelancing or starting a small business. Many students start with services like tutoring, design, or social media management. This builds entrepreneurial skills and lets you earn income on a flexible schedule.
Find out more about enterprise support at Bath
Volunteering
Volunteering lets you support causes you care about while gaining valuable experience. It's flexible around your studies. You can explore different sectors, build transferable skills, and grow your network.
Find volunteering opportunities via the SU
Student groups and extracurriculars
Student groups, societies and sports clubs can help you develop valuable skills while pursuing your interests.
Take on a committee role to gain experience in leadership, event planning, budget management or marketing. As a regular member, you'll build teamwork and communication skills through activities and events.
The SU offers many groups to join. These range from academic societies related to your course, to performing arts, cultural groups and competitive sports. You can even start your own society if there's a gap.
Find groups and societies via the SU
Virtual and online work experience
Online work experience schemes are becoming more common. They're popular because they're flexible and you can access them from anywhere. These programmes help you develop digital workplace skills and experience different industries.
Explore online resources to boost your employability on MyFuture
Find virtual work experience platforms on MyFuture
Other University opportunities
The University runs a range of other programmes on campus. Keep checking the work experience page and look out for emails from your department.
Some regular opportunities include:
Work experience tips
- Check MyFuture regularly - new opportunities are added throughout the year.
- Be realistic about your academic workload - choose experiences that fit alongside your studies, not compete with them.
- Consider combining different experiences - part-time work, volunteering, and student groups all help build your skills.
- Record your experiences and skills as you go - this will help when you update your CV or apply for opportunities.
- Use MyFuture resources to help you at every step of your career journey.
- You don't need all the answers straight away - short-term work experience, like an internship, is a great way to try out a role or industry.