IT internships for students: when to apply and where

When to start

Second or third year is the sweet spot. The fundamentals are there and a degree isn't yet pressing on you. Many programmes are built for students and flex around timetables.

First year isn't too early either, if you can already build things. Nobody asks what year you're in — they ask what you can do.

When intakes open

Two windows: late winter through spring, and late summer through autumn. Summer internships recruit in spring, so "I'll start looking in June" means being six months late.

Set reminders for February and August. Cheaper than finding out about an intake after it closed.

Where to look

• Large companies. Well-run programmes, mentors, usually paid. Heavy competition, long selection.
• University labs. Closer to hand and easier to get into, though quality depends entirely on who runs them.
• Small local companies. Often it's easier for them to take a part-time student than to find a finished specialist.

Combining it with study

Be honest about the hours you can give. Twenty on top of a full course load is a lot but workable outside exam periods. Ten is comfortable almost always.

Agree the schedule up front, not later. Decent companies expect this — they know who they're hiring.

If you don't get through

Student programmes run hundreds of applicants per place, and a rejection says almost nothing about you. Six months between intakes is better spent building than waiting.

A team project gives you what people go to internships for: tasks, code discussion, deadlines. The difference is you don't have to win a competition to get one.