Our student blogger, Ellie Hyman, gives her top tips on getting an internship - so important for students these days..

1. Determine your priorities. Do you want career-related experience? The opportunity to travel? Funds to support tuition fees? Some interships will pay, while some only offer travel expenses or nothing at all. Do you want priceless opportunities in terms of one off experience or opening professional doors? Are you happy to just sit in an office for your summer as long as you’re making great contacts? Deciding what you want to get out of your internship will help you narrow your search.

2. Do your research. While your first instinct may be to apply for Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Vogue, or Linklaters, your chances are obviously significantly diminished. There are TONS of smaller, but just as good, companies that will not only be more likely to offer you an internship because they are smaller, but your experience will be more personal and you may even be more likely to get a job at the end as the boss will actually know your name. Pay attention to the details —nothing makes anyone throw away a resume faster than glaring spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. Putting care into how you present yourself shows that you want and deserve to be noticed.

3. Customise your CV. For each application you send out, amend your CV, even if only slightly, to personalise it for the job you are applying for. I can’t even tell you how much of a difference it makes.

4. Don’t forget a cover letter. While a CV tells your employer what you have to offer, ultimately, it is a buyer’s market and you have to sell yourself to them. Tell them why you are choosing them, why you want to work for them. It will make all the difference.

5. Before accepting an offer, make sure your decision is informed: what are the hours like? Will you be paid? Who will be your ‘boss’? What does a typical day entail? You may decide it’s not for you, even after receiving an offer.