We at Nicourses.com are all too aware of the brief and erratic nature of summer. We’re not suggesting you swap your social life and festival tickets for a working life of misery; but a summer internship does not have to be as ultimate a sacrifice as you may think. However you should also be advised that there’ll be more involved than prancing about and feeling important in a slick suit…

A huge number of companies provide summer internship placements and firms are continually introducing more as the success of those past continues to resonate. The reasons are simple and obvious; the employment is cheap (sometimes free) and it’s a great way to train potential employees. It’s difficult to assess with certainty the length of a summer internship as the duration is dependent on the specific company.

Advantages of taking part are plentiful. Acquiring the skills that come with actual work experience is invaluable. Only so much can be learned in a library; time spent with clients and well honed presentation skills can only be developed in an everyday working life; and an ability to perform well in exams may not impress. Showing that you have had hands-on encounters with projects and have benefited from a working communication with a professional in your chosen field is often the clincher of an offer of employment. These are extremely marketable characteristics no matter what sector you wish to become involved in. You will also make contacts that could play an important role in your later career.

Personal advantages should also be considered; an internship will give you an essential insight into what your desired profession will really involve on a daily basis and perhaps more importantly; if you are suited to it. Many of today’s business careers call for a huge level of commitment; for example to qualify as an accountant anywhere approximately five years of study and training may be required. Taking part in a summer internship programme would be a fantastic way of ascertaining how serious you are about becoming an accountant before wasting time and money.

International internships are a great way of gaining professional experience while expanding your horizons; AIESEC, the world's largest student organization, is the international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential; visit its website at http://www.aiesec.org/ for some ideas.