Internships vary. Whether they are paid or not depends on the place, the company's resources, and, of course, on you.
As a rule, the announcement for accepting interns (those who will undergo the internship) states whether the internship is paid and, if so, how. There is an option where the work during the internship is paid not in full but only partially, for example, 50%, as in the program "Internship in Hotels of England." The program is specially designed for students studying hotel management and tourism business. It allows them to gain work experience in hotels in the UK.
An indispensable requirement is knowledge of the language at least at an intermediate level. You need to know the hotel management structure, study fire evacuation plans, and the security system. The program participant receives an official work permit, the so-called Work Permit. Interns are placed in one of 250 hotels of various categories. Employment is 40 hours a week, which involves working five to six days. During peak periods, the hotel expects the intern to work overtime, accordingly receiving an additional salary supplement or a day off. Days off may change each week and are usually split into half-days. For example, a possible free-time schedule might be: Monday morning, Tuesday evening, and all day Thursday.
The program participant receives a minimum of 70 British pounds per week, as well as accommodation at the hotel with full board. The salary is paid weekly or monthly.
In the UK, in order to receive payment for your work, you must open a bank account and obtain a National Insurance number at the local Social Security office. This should be done upon arrival.
The hotel provides interns with accommodation and meals. They are usually placed in a twin or triple room, either in the hotel building or in a staff house. In any case, participants must keep their room clean. Meals are two or three times a day.
Most hotels that have their own staff residence are located away from the city center, although there are exceptions. Expect to get an internship placement at a hotel in a small town. This is because hotels located far from large cities need permanent staff due to their isolated location; however, this implies reduced travel expenses to work and increases the workload time (thereby increasing the salary).
The hotel offers the following positions: housekeeper, doorman, kitchen worker, bartender, assistant manager, porter, etc.
If the intern's English level is below 40% (Spoken Competence), he should not immediately count on a position involving client communication and taking orders. If an employee feels professional growth, he may ask the hotel manager to transfer to another position or department.
The minimum duration of the program is six months, the maximum is one year. The minimum age is 18 years.
An internship is not an opportunity to earn money, but a chance to prove yourself, to show in the best light everything you have already learned and already possess, to establish yourself in the company, and to begin paving the way to success. There is a high probability that if you present yourself in a good light, the same company will want to hire you on a permanent basis.
And the second goal of the internship is to gain the necessary experience. You may not earn anything, but you will gain the experience needed for career growth. Everyone knows the vicious circle that graduates of our universities find themselves in: without experience, they are not hired, but how can they get it? Even if the company where you interned does not offer you a permanent position, the fact of the internship will help you find a good job in the future.