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Economics and Business Career Centre Economics and Business Career Centre
Internships

How to find an internship

There are many ways for you to find an internship, all of which require a proactive attitude. Factor in at least six months from the moment you start exploring your options and approaching organisations until you sign your contract. If you want to do an internship abroad, you should start even sooner.

Be aware that you should only start looking when you know for certain that you meet the requirements of your internship. Check the page of the internship you want to do to find out.

In order to get an idea of what exactly you are looking for, you could first:

  • speak to lecturers, internship coordinators or a careers advisor;
  • read the internship reports of fellow students;
  • think about what kind of organisation appeals to you: a research institute, an NGO, a commercial company, a start-up, and so on. Alternatively, consider what types of subjects and fields appeal to you most.
  • You can ask family members, friends and colleagues to help you explore the possibilities. They will undoubtedly know people that you do not yet know who can help you move forward.
  • Finding an internship in the Netherlands

    You can find vacancies on the following platforms:

    UvA Job Board

    The UvA Job Board lists internships, some of which may align with your field of interest. The Job Board includes a variety of search filters. For instance, you can search for ‘non-Dutch’ vacancies if you don’t speak Dutch. New internships are added on a daily basis.

    Study associations

    The Economics and Business study associations share internship vacancies on their websites:

    • SEFA is the study association for students of Economics and Business- and Fiscal Economics-related programmes of UvA Economics and Business. Internships and vacancies, are constantly updated, with new jobs submitted every day.
    • VSAE is the study association for all students of Actuarial Sciences, Econometrics and Operational Research at the UvA. Its vacancy site lists fulltime jobs, student jobs and internships for students and graduates in the quantitative sector.
    • FSA is the student association for finance-oriented students at the UvA. The FSA has its own vacancy page with (student) jobs and internships.
    • MAA focuses on marketing related ideas, developments and activities. It operates as an intermediary between students and companies. You do not need to study Marketing in order to join MAA.
    • SFEER is the student association for future tax specialists. It is an association that operates for the Faculties of Law and of Economics and Business.

    Other

    • Intergrand is a student organisation that operates as an intermediary between companies and students.
    • uvaconnect.nl is an online alumni platform exclusively for alumni of UvA Economics and Business. Among other things, alumni can share internship opportunities.

    Furthermore, take a look at the following websites:

    Career Events

    The UvA organises several opportunities for meet-and-greets between interesting corporate organisations and students. Take a look at our event calendar for upcoming events.

    Use your own network

    Last, but not least: use your personal network, as it often is bigger than you think. Send open applications to companies that appeal to you. Organisations in the Netherlands appreciate a proactive attitude. Check company websites for information on internships and online application.

  • Finding an internship abroad

    You can also opt for an internship abroad. You’ll find tips below on how to find an internship abroad and an overview of internship options around the world. First of all, a proactive attitude is an important requirement for finding an internship, especially for one abroad.

    General tips

    • Start obtaining information well in advance. Count on needing at least six months to a year of preparation from the initial orientation phase up to your actual departure.
    • The approval and acknowledgement of an internship is identical to the internship process in the Netherlands. Look into the specific requirements of your study programme to determine which procedure you have to follow.
    • Make sure that you have a clear picture of what you are looking for and what your opportunities are. For example, what type of organisation appeals most to you? Or which country and language do you prefer?

    UvA Job Board

    The UvA Job Board also lists international internships, some of which may align with your field of interest. Job Board includes a variety of search filters. For instance, you can search for ‘non-Dutch’ vacancies in case you don’t speak Dutch. New internships are added on a daily basis.

    Alumni Network UvA Economics and Business: uvaconnect.nl

    UvAconnect connects you to UvA alumni chapters abroad. You can join the network and send a message to one of UvA's alumni.

    Looking for vacancies all over the world?

    You will find many useful websites in this document.

    Doing an internship in Europe?

    You might be eligible for an Erasmus+ Grant. For more information, take a look at the special page about the grant.