Graduate Advantage

Who are Graduate Advantage?

Graduate Advantage are the internship people for the West Midlands region. We work with local SMEs (small to medium enterprises) to deliver a great range of industry-specific internships so that graduates like you can get that all-important work experience for your CV.

What's the eligibility criteria for internships with Graduate Advantage?

You must be a graduate and have a West Midlands address, either at home or university. And, er, that's about it! Not much stopping you, is there? Apply today and take that crucial first step towards the world of work!

What sort of internship opportunities are there?

We currently run both paid and voluntary internships. Our voluntary internships run from between 4 and 16 weeks. To help with your costs you will be able to access a travel expenses fund through Graduate Advantage of up to £25 a week, if you use public transport. Our paid internships are of any length up to 12 months, depending on what companies are looking for, and will always be above minimum wage (most tend to be somewhere between 16-17K.) Sometimes you will be working on a specific short-term project, such as rebuilding a website or providing some fresh marketing ideas for a re-brand. Because we provide a free recruitment service to businesses, companies also use us as a nifty way of trying before buying, and are sometimes looking to recruit a graduate on a much longer, potentially permanent basis. It's a case of supply and demand though, so keep stopping by to see what's come in.

Does my degree have to match the internship?

Work experience is a great way of finding out more about an industry and about where your skill-set is most likely to shine. Employers know that many graduate skills are transferrable, so don't be put off if you have a psychology degree but fancy a bash at marketing. Any essential skills or qualifications will be detailed in the advert, so look for areas with more flexibility, such as demonstrable research skills or the ability to project manage. Your careers service will be able to tell you the skill-sets associated with your degree - remember, there's an established lingo around job descriptions, but once you've learnt the buzz words you'll realise you're a lot more employable than you thought you were!

How do I apply?

You can search all our vacancies by industry and apply directly via our short application form. Once we've had all our applications, we will contact the graduates we feel are best suited and ask you to send us a CV. Can't see any internships you fancy at the moment? Just fill out our short application form in one or more of the candidate pools and we'll come across it when we're next looking for candidates. You can apply to as many internships and candidate pools as you like. Please use the Graduate Advantage Support Centre where you will find a whole series of tips and exercises designed not only to help you stand out from the crowd and get that step closer to securing that graduate-level job.

When will you contact me?

We will let you know as soon as we receive your application, and will always contact you to let you know whether you've been shortlisted or not. If you get through to the interview stage, we'll provide full details on the who/where/what, as well as some handy hints and tips for preparation.

Interviews - tell me more!

Interviews vary depending on company and internship type and we'll give you as much information as possible beforehand, but remember it's always better to be over-dressed and obsessively in the know than underprepared. Do your research! Check out the company, and if possible your interviewer - it's crucial you demonstrate a solid interest in them and it shows bags of initiative. Be positive and enthusiastic - they want to get the best answers out of you and remember, it's your chance to test them for suitability as well. Please use the Graduate Advantage Support Centre where you will find a whole series of tips and exercises designed to prepare you for interviews. 

If I have a problem on internship, who can I contact?

A member of our dedicated internships team will be managing the vacancy you''ve applied for, and if you're successful they will keep in touch via regular emails and phone calls in order to make sure everything is going well and you're being looked after.