Internships

An internship in London will be different than any working experience you may have already had. London is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world with nearly 30% of the population coming from outside the UK. This means you might equally find yourself working alongside someone from Lebanon, Luxembourg or London.

Equally, you’re likely to find yourself working with people from Liverpool, Leeds or Lincoln – London is the city that many young people in the UK flock to after graduation. Whether to earn their millions in the ‘square mile,’ London’s financial district commonly referred to as ‘the City;’ to showcase their creativity in one of the UK’s leading industries – fashion, music, design or the arts; or to make their mark in the ever expanding business community – London is THE place to be.

Part of the thrill of an internship abroad will be discovering the differences in how you and your co-workers relate to each other. You’ll return with new perspectives and new ideas about how to interact in cross-cultural situations. There are a few key things you should know about working in London:

• You may find the office environment more casual than you’d expect. It is not unheard of to hear office banter, gossip, colorful language or joke telling at the water cooler!
• A typical day for an intern is six core hours which may fall anywhere between 9 and 6, but most employees in the UK will stay until the job is finished for the day.
• Hierarchy is not as strong in UK offices as it may be in the US. In London, EVERYONE will make tea – from the intern to the Managing Director, and clerical work is a part of everyone’s job. Don’t worry if you’re asked to do this in your first week. Your hard work won’t go unnoticed!
• British humor is much drier and much more sarcastic than its American counterpart. The British will poke fun at anything and everything, including themselves and YOU! But don’t worry, this is a good thing – you know you’re ‘in’ when you’re on the receiving end of a joke.

“This internship has truly opened my eyes to the world of global business. Though it can be taught in any classroom anywhere, it is a very different experience to actually work and live in a foreign environment, learning from a hands on approach how businesses overseas function and the various differences that are evident between American business and international business. I enjoyed London a great deal and this is certainly a place where I would consider working in the future.” – Paul, Villanova University