At freetobook, we host a group of Software Development Interns every summer. These enthusiastic students arrive armed with university-level knowledge and lots of enthusiasm. They leave with real-world experience, soft skills, and confidence. Ahead of internship application season, our Co-Director Iain shares his advice for hopefuls preparing for their first ever work experience.

Why apply for internships in the first place?

“I’ve never done an internship, but I’ve interviewed a hundred hopefuls and read hundreds of their applications. Getting an internship is probably harder than getting a job, so why bother?  

This is my take on it: firstly, know why it is you’re looking for one. Most students I’ve talked with want two things:

• Real world experience where they can have an impact

• To learn new technologies and understand processes

Obviously, a job with a company you know and like would be a strong third. 

Knowing what you are looking for helps you prepare for applying. There aren’t enough internships to go around so be prepared to apply to quite a few. But considering the competitive nature of applications, why is it worth doing an internship anyway?  

Well, having real world experience gives you a sense of what your future working life will be like and to see how you’d cope. You’ll hopefully gain confidence, understand what you’re good at and perhaps where you need to develop further.

The learning side covers soft skills as well as technologies and processes. Being part of a developer team involves lots of collaboration and communication. You’ll be sharing your ideas, discussing options, and helping the team make decisions. It’s amazing listening to interns say at the end of their internship just how much they’ve learned.

Our summer 2025 interns

Making internship applications easier – without using AI!

Your application is about you, what has your experience in the real world taught you about yourself? Most people have little idea about who they are, especially on a professional level. It took me 25 years of working to know (or feel confident about) what I was great at! I knew much earlier what I wasn’t so good at.   

Understanding how your experiences have shaped you is the place to start. Most students don’t have much in the way of “work experience” but they do have tons of great life experience. We all have greatness in us. We’ve all overcome unique challenges and should have something to say about it. 

Most students have no problem articulating what they’ve done; they’re great at lists. I worked here, I achieved these grades, and volunteered for this role etc. But why and how? This is the gold you need to mine for. It’s not about revealing your inner soul — it’s simply finding those significant achievements and what made them possible.  

Deep stuff, I know. Let’s take a step back.

Try taking three separate 45 minute slots to think about what you’ve achieved personally, in education, and through any work experience (time yourself and write a list). Ideally sit alone maybe even in a dark room...without your phone!

What do those situations, results or your actions say about you (create another list)? It could be a uni team project, an exam result, a summer job or a personal event. It isn’t easy but it’ll give you the basis of your application focus.  

You now have a list of things that say something important about you, and are backed up by evidence. It’s crucial that you can demonstrate stuff such as teamwork, collaboration, learning fast, adapting, thinking stuff through (problem solving), sticking with it, communication, organisation, prioritisation and perhaps even a sense humour!   

Does what you’ve found match what they’re looking for in the role you are applying to? Use AI to research (not to write!) the company, their blogs, newsletters, website, employees, history…where do you fit in that picture? Look at what previous interns have said and contact them if you can (you may even get a few pointers on the application process). You can then pick and choose relevant examples from your lists. It’s hard because you must sell yourself, and most people are uncomfortable with that (rightly so).  

When it comes to applying, writing plain, simple text that is descriptive and humble works wonders. Saying you “have worked in a team” is not the same as showing why you bring a dimension that every team needs. Using numbers for context or proof is helpful: “I worked in a team of 6 responsible for front of house, so I had to continually assess tables, communicating with customers, the team and kitchen. This was a busy, high-pressure environment where my attention to detail and easy-going nature contributed to the team’s success (our service score was 4.7/5)”. That sure as hell beats “I worked in a restaurant over the summer where I served customers and was responsible for their satisfaction and managing the tills/handling cash.” Understand the role you played and what it says about YOU, so please do use the word “I”.   

This is far too long already (hint: keep applications short, make every word count) but I hope it’s helpful.  

PS: Don’t use AI to write your cover letter, but that’s a whole other blog!”