Internships are hot career stepping stones for students who are keen to complete a placement to improve their chances of getting a job, according to graduate recruitment website Milkround.com.

The research found that 90% of students and graduates are planning to complete or having already completed a placement, this is despite only three in five claiming an internship is essential for their preferred career.

It found that of those who expect to complete an internship, summer is the favoured time of the year, with 79% expecting to use the long vacation for testing their abilities in the workplace.

The research found that 42% said they would apply for an internship directly through employers while 26% will use a recruitment website and 23% will contact their university careers service. Just two percent don't expect to do an internship.

The Milkround.com survey also asked respondents which industries they thought placed an emphasis on internships when looking to hire. Accountancy and actuarial was joined by business and management on 21%. Surprisingly, the media industry and journalism profession only received 9% each despite many graduates having to go through a period of unpaid work to get hired.
Milkround.com spokesman Mike Barnard said: "These results show graduates are prepared to put in the extra effort of completing an internship during or after their studies to ensure they get the job they want. With so many people's CVs sporting a degree now, it's important they don't rely on their qualifications to set them apart and an internship is the ideal way to show off their ability to employers."