Inspiring Interns had a very exciting year last year.  Our expanding business took on six new members of staff, five of who started as interns themselves. As we grew we needed somewhere bigger and better to house our budding team.  We bid a sad goodbye to our old office which has been our home from day one and moved down the road to our new headquarters. Our new office houses two candidate interview rooms so we can help twice as many graduates into jobs every day.

Last year saw us celebrate the publication of our careers guidebook Brilliant Intern which provides practical and meaningful advice to help graduates find and make the most of their internships.

We announced a wonderful new partnership with Job Centre Plus and the Work Experience Programme towards the end of the year to help support graduates who want to undertake an internship. Thanks to the partnership, interns are able to receive JSA (normally £53.45 a week) for a minimum of eight weeks during their internship. When graduates would otherwise be job hunting this scheme allows them to gain invaluable work experience at no additional cost. With this added work experience the likelihood of them getting a paid graduate role is highly increased, along with their employability due to their newfound awareness of a commercial setting.

An internship bridges the gap between student life and the working world – it is a vocational learning experience which provides graduates with practical experience, valuable skills and a network of contacts to increase a graduate’s understanding of an industry. Inspiring Interns founder and CEO Ben Rosen explains;

“Internships are a great tool to allow companies to minimise their risk when hiring inexperienced staff, while giving graduates the opportunity to create and earn positions that may not have been there without the internship. A three month placement gives the intern the chance to learn lots of new hands-on skills and make themselves indispensible, and therefore move into permanent employment.”

The latest survey by the Office for National Statistics revealed unemployment figures have risen to 2.68 million in the three months to November 2011.  The unemployment rate for young people was 22.3%, up 1% from the three months to August 2011 with a total of 1.04 million 16 to 24 year olds out of work.

The UK’s jobless are losing hope for the future with the number of people unemployed for over one year reaching 857,000 in the three months to November 2011. Research conducted by The Prince’s Trust found that unemployed young people are feeling less confident about the future than they did this time last year.

With job losses in the public sector likely to continue, the Government must make every effort to help the private sector and SMEs to create more jobs. The key to reviving the job market is to focus on enhancing the right skills and considering roles in growing sectors and newer industries.

In our experience most success has been found in newer industries which often complement many graduates’ personal interests. Areas such as mobile technology and digital marketing offer potential for swift progression when compared to more traditional professions and also allow university leavers to draw on familiar skills, such as knowledge of social media.

Inspiring Interns are championing graduate internships as a new and successful approach to encouraging small business to hire university leavers and getting graduates into work. Their model – a three month placement with minimum lunch and travel expenses, with a view to permanent graduate job – has seen over 1,300 graduates complete internships in the London area in the last three years, with 65% of them going on to secure full-time work with their host company. Inspiring Interns CEO and founder Ben Rosen believes that internships are the perfect model to get graduates into meaningful work.

“An internship provides that stepping stone between student life and the working world – it is a vocational learning experience that more often than not will lead to a job.”

Rosen also explains the benefit for employers;

“Internships offer employers the chance to hire someone on potential rather than experience. A three month internship period allows them to offer the intern training and the chance to observe them in the workplace before committing to taking them on permanently. This limits their risk and allows them to take a candidate on who they would not have otherwise.”

Take a look below for our most viewed blogs of this year combining a variety of topics including; graduate and student news, current affairs, careers advice, case studies and all topped off with some Inspiring office antics.

1. The weirdest job interview questions

Do you have an interview coming up and have no clue what they are going to ask you? Find out the oddest interview questions that have been used by some of the biggest multi-national companies. Read more

2. Why National Minimum Wage does not mean a fair deal for interns

Nick Clegg launched his social mobility strategy this year and announced that the Government would be doing more to ensure internships are open for all.  We give our opinions on the importance of raising the standards of internships for all but why enforcing NMW for every single internship is neither appropriate nor necessarily beneficial for interns themselves. Read more

3. 9 ways to beat those ‘graduate blues’

Are you at the stage between leaving university and finding out what you want to do next and feeling slightly lost? Here are 9 tips on how to deal with this normal reaction to graduating from university. Read more

4. What is a Digital Marketing Executive?

Companies are increasingly realising the importance of digital marketing in enhancing their business thus creating many new career paths and job titles. We catch up with a digital marketing intern Joe Kiddle to find out what the role entails. Read more

5. A graduate guide to LinkedIn

LinkedIn serves as an online CV and allows you to connect with friends, colleagues and companies in professional capacity.  The value of LinkedIn is immeasurable however it is not being used effectively enough by graduates during the job hunt. This blog post offers advice on how to set up your own LinkedIn account and how to actively update it. Read more

6. Graduate unemployment figures highest in over a decade

It was reported back in January that one in five of those who have left university in the past year are unable to find work within six months. The report from the Office for National Statistics suggests graduates have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. Read more

7. The big office move!

This year we said a sad farewell to our old office and moved down the road to our new headquarters. We documented the move in pictures from the emptying of the old office to the building of the new. Have a nose through the final office pictures here.

8. The alternative to graduate schemes 2011

Graduate schemes are highly desirable for many university leavers and there are plenty of benefits if you are accepted onto one. However, with record numbers of students graduating this year, competition for these schemes is high. We have put together some alternative ways to land a graduate job that can be an equally, if not more, rewarding step onto the career ladder. Read more

9. Graduates are working in low skilled jobs

It was reported earlier this year that university leavers are increasingly taking menial jobs that do not require a degree.  New statistics published by the Association of Accounting Technicians reveals that 40% of last year’s graduates are ‘underemployed’ in lower-skilled jobs six months after leaving university. Read More

10. Cheap and cheerful Christmas presents – guest blog

One of our guest bloggers, Sara Royle offers her tips on how to buy Christmas presents on a minimal budget ensuring your nearest and dearest get lovely gifts, and that you can still afford to pay that dreaded winter heating bill. Useful if you need a late present! Read More

Happy New Year from the Inspiring Team!

Towards the end of the 30 minute programme, Labour MP Chris Bryant asked the Prime Minister about what actions he is taking to deal with the one million unemployed young people:

“The personal damage caused by long term unemployment can be phenomenal. On average, somebody who is unemployed for more than 6 months are 6 times more likely to contract a serious mental health problem. Doesn’t the Prime Minister worry that we are going to have a generation of young people who will be suffering many of the problems of lack of self-esteem and never having a first job? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be guaranteeing every under 24 year old a job after 6 months being unemployed, paying them to work not paying them benefits?”

In his response, David Cameron defended the Government’s efforts and talked about the success of work experience placements:

“A very important point which is the scarring effect of youth unemployment. There are two very important things that we are doing to try and help that. First of all, helping within 3 months through the work programme for those not in employment, education and training rather than 6 months under the Future Jobs Fund. Secondly, one of the most successful schemes that there has been in recent years is giving people work experience placements. In many cases, and we will be producing evidence for this soon, it is actually leading to direct employment opportunities for those young people.”

Inspiring Interns support the Government’s plans of to offer work experience placements in the fight against youth unemployment. With increasing numbers of graduates entering the job market it has become vital for them to have meaningful work experience. We agree with his view that quality, well-structured internships can lead to employment opportunities. Our own statistics show that 65% of our graduate internships lead to permanent roles with the host company and the vast majority of the remaining 35% gain employment elsewhere as a result of the extra experience their internship provided.

Mario Götze, Borussia Dortmund’s wunderkind, shone in the Champions League last night as last season’s Bundesliga champions drew against a valiant Arsenal (see what I mean? – Ed).  Despite Robin Van Persie’s well taken right footed opener, proving that he is a not a one-footed footballer, Dortmund equalised in the 88^th minute with a poorly executed wonder strike from a lesser known substitute, his first and surely last for the club.

Götze was nevertheless one of the stars of the show, and come the final minute Dortmund were unlucky not to have scored; denied repeatedly by the ferocious midfield display of tenacious Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song and the goalkeeping-genius of WojciechSzczęsny.

In the pre-match build up we were very pleased to read in the Evening Standard that Götze (only 19 years old) spent his summer working in Borussia Dortmund’s offices as an intern.  This despite having played a key role in Dortmund’s Bundesliga triumph last season, contributing 6 goals and 15 assists in 33 games.  It was of no surprise that he was linked with last night’s opposition, Arsenal, who, according to reports, submitted a club record bid for the player in the region of £30-35m.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Mario Götze on his footballing successes thus far and his extracurricular work ethic. It goes to show that an internship can be hugely valuable, no matter what your circumstances!

It is an impressive success story against a backdrop of rising youth unemployment and a suspicion among employers that hiring inexperienced workers in the current climate is too big a risk. With graduates trapped in the ‘need experience to get a job, need a job to get experience’ vicious circle, Inspiring Interns CEO and founder Ben Rosen believes that internships are the perfect model to get graduates into meaningful work.

“The employment market is currently saturated, not just with those immediately out of university but by people with over a year’s experience under their belt. Graduates are finding that they simply cannot compete in these conditions and as such remain unemployed or find menial work that does not make best use of their education.

“An internship gives them the chance to learn practical skills which will impress potential employers, as well as make useful industry contacts and even earn themselves a full-time job.”

Interestingly, Inspiring Interns have found most success in newer industries which often complement many graduates’ personal interests. Areas such as mobile technology and digital marketing offer potential for swift progression when compared to more traditional professions and also allow university leavers to draw on familiar skills, such as knowledge of social media.

Having reached the 1000 intern mark independently, Inspiring Interns are now calling on the Government to do more to support internships and help create jobs for graduates. Commenting on the recent launch of BIS’s Common Best Practice Code for High Quality Internships, Ben Rosen said,

“It is encouraging to see the Coalition engaging with internships and attempting to offer some guidance to business. However we would like to see them create some genuine measures, such as allowing companies to redirect National Insurance payments to internship programmes, in order to support what is now a proven model for combating graduate unemployment.”

Having reached the 1000 mark, Rosen is unequivocal in his vision for Inspiring Interns. “2000 is next! There are still tens of thousands of graduates looking for work and thousands of companies who are unaware of the benefit hungry young talent can bring to their organisation. Inspiring Interns is committed to bringing the two together, creating jobs and boosting business.”

The average number of graduates applying to each vacancy has risen to 83 – up from 31 just three years ago, it was reported yesterday.

The headline figure from the bi-annual Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) report makes grim reading for those poised to leave university. The number of CVs sent in for each vacancy is now the highest on record so job prospects look slim for the class of 2011. However, it’s not all doom and gloom for university leavers.

The AGR report gives a skewed picture of the graduate job market with too great an emphasis on big business. The statistics do not reflect the positive developments within SME recruitment and small firms which often have far less competition for positions and graduates are far more likely to succeed with speculative applications.  Although they may not provide a marquee name for your CV, often these roles provide far greater responsibility and better prospects for young jobseekers.

Students are often drawn to the ‘big boys’ on the milkround, who advertise heavily with university careers services and can offer eye-catching starting salaries. For many graduates, however, starting with a smaller company is often a more rewarding move. Better work-life balance, improved job satisfaction and swift progression up the career ladder are the sorts of benefits many employees find working within small business can bring.

So don’t let negative media dishearten you and stay positive about your job hunt. There are plenty of opportunities out there if you look in the right places, graduate schemes do not start and end with the big multi-nationals. Focusing on smaller companies and completing a graduate internship could be the key to unlocking your career.

Universities need to do more to prepare students for life as a graduate, it was reported today.

According to a survey conducted by the CBI and National Union of Students, more than half of students want their university to provide more help for them to understand employability skills.

The survey of 2,614 students showed that 57% want universities to better explain employability skills, including customer awareness, team working and self management. A further 66% would like to be provided with support from their university in developing these skills.

These findings follow last week’s publication of the 2011 CBI / EDI Education & Skills Survey which showed that 82% of businesses single out employability skills as the most important consideration when hiring graduates.  The survey found that 70% of employers believe that students need to do more to prepare themselves for the workplace and make the most of what is available to them at university through societies, internships and volunteering.

With the forthcoming rise in tuition fees the pressure will be on institutions to show how their course can help students achieve a return on their investment by securing graduate jobs. The CBI wants all universities to embed the teaching of employability skills into course structures.

Susan Anderson, CBI Director for Education & Skills, said “Employability skills are the most important attributes that businesses look for in new recruits but graduates are currently falling short of employers’ expectations.

“Competition for jobs is intense and graduate unemployment remains high, so students need to proactively develop relevant employability skills. But at the same time all universities need to explain these skills better and make sure they embed them in teaching.”

Another means to improve your job opportunities post-university is to undertake a graduate internship. This will provide valuable work experience and employability skills, boosting job prospects and industry contacts to enrich your CV.

New statistics published by the Association of Accounting Technicians reveals that 40% of last year’s graduates are ‘underemployed’ in lower-skilled jobs six months after leaving university. This figure has risen from 30% in 2007.

Graduates have been among the worst hit by the economic downturn with research forecasting a deteriorating jobs market for graduates who will leave university this summer. The study predicts that the figures will rise to 42% of this year’s graduates working in low-skill jobs where a degree is not required, six months after graduating.

With the tuition fees set to soar, this raises the question of whether a university degree is worth the financial investment. Jane Scott Paul, chief executive at the Association of Accounting Technicians who commissioned the study says; “If we are asking people to invest £9,000-a-year on tuition fees, they should expect a credible return on that investment. Yet over half the graduates are nowhere near benefitting from their degree and the situation is set to get worse.” Therefore those considering the option of university need to think more carefully about job prospects and employability skills post-university.

The study shows graduates of law, history and philosophy are the most likely to be “underemployed”. However, graduates in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are more likely to be in graduate employment.

With high competition for graduate jobs the alternative choice for university leavers is to find a graduate internship. Rather than taking a menial, low-skilled job that the candidate is over qualified for, an internship can bridge the gap between university and a graduate job. A good graduate internship can provide valuable work experience, key skills and the potential to build up a network of contacts.

Do you take whatever you can to start earning money, whether this is a supermarket job or call centre with no career prospects? Or do you gain experience and contacts through a graduate internship, progressing to a full-time permanent role?

Along with any Royal wedding comes a whole host of memorabilia. So from mobile apps to Kiss-Me-Kate Ale everyone from Twinings and Hamleys to Premier Inn and B&Q have been cashing in on this historic event since the engagement was announced.

With the long awaited ceremony tomorrow, we have put together a list of our favourite/craziest wedding memorabilia to help you completely immerse yourself in this real life Prince and Princess story.

1.The Bedding

It is every girl’s dream to wake up next to her Prince Charming and Premier Inn’s ‘Royal Bedding’ is offering just this. The budget hotel chain has printed the couple’s bodies onto a limited selection of their hotel duvets.

2. The Tea Bags

Available from Liberty these two novelty teabags have been especially designed for the Royal Wedding, but at £5 for the pair this is one pricey cuppa we won’t be forking out for…

3. The Pez Dispensers

Pez the sweet manufacturers have designed a set of commemorative future King and Queen look-alike Pez dispensers . Fulfil your lifelong dream of eating sweets coughed up from the royal throat.

4. The Toilet Seat Cover

Bored of your average toilet seat? Us too. Why not decorate your throne with this royal toilet seat cover illustrated with the happy couple’s faces… We won’t list the reasons why not.

5. The Papa John Pizza

And finally, for all those pizza lovers, you can now gorge on the Will and Kate’s faces  depicted in ham…yum.

No marrying your Prince this weekend? Why not check out our latest graduate internships!