The Best Internships & Placements in 2020/21

These companies offer the best internships and placements for university students in the UK. They are the Lewis Hamiltons, or Prue Leiths, of the student recruitment world.

This TOP TEN is based on thousands and thousands of reviews written by students about their experiences as an intern or placement student last year. (5,855 of them to be exact.)

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POSITION	COMPANY
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Best Internship and Placement Employers 2020/21

Here’s a bigger breakdown of the results, showcasing positions 1 to 20:

1. Citi 2. Capital One 3. Herbert Smith Freehills 4. Bloomberg 5. Bank of America 6. American Express 7. J.P.Morgan 8. Arup 9. Allen & Overy 10. Credit Suisse

11. Taylor Wessing 12. PwC 13. Warner Media 14. Goldman Sachs 15. Hays 16. Morgan Stanley 17. L’Oreal 18. IBM 19. Savills 20. Enterprise Rent-A-Car

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The companies in this list hired students last year for placements, internships, insights and vacation schemes, and virtual experiences. Find out what opportunities they’re offering in 2021…

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Why are these companies so highly-rated?

Students rated these employers as offering the best work experience schemes for undergraduate students. But why? What’s so good about them?

The reviews submitted on RateMyPlacement.co.uk grade a company on:

• Meaningfulness of work given to interns/placement students
• Opportunities for career development (e.g. training)
• Support received from line manager and the wider team
• Company culture and general atmosphere 
• Level of enjoyment
• Employment prospects

These companies performed well in ALL of these areas. They provided students with challenging and valuable work experience, and a scheme that was jolly good fun.

What’s more, undergraduates that worked for them had a genuine chance of securing a job with the company after university.

Interns and placement students working for Citi, PwC and L’Oreal were not making tea for the chap who makes the coffee. They did real work, were given real responsibilities and had more fun than a ballboy during Wimbledon.

Almost 6,000 reviews were submitted by students last year, across 14 industries. Each review offers the inside scoop on what it’s like to work for a particular company. Like The Tiger Who Came To Tea, they are a must-read.

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Why should you apply for a placement or internship?

The Institute of Student Employers has revealed that 63% of employers believe graduates who have undertaken work experience are work-ready. 

Getting some professional work experience before you graduate will give you a better understanding of working life, and equip you with the skills you need to take the world of work by storm.

Across all of the Top 100 Employers, 47% of their previous placement students and interns returned as graduates last year. 

It will also astronomically increase your chances of walking straight into a job.

In fact, employers specifically use these schemes to find talent and introduce them to the company while they’re still at university.

That’s why you should apply!

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We know it can be tough to fit a job around uni work and other commitments. However, you can find work experience in all shapes and sizes on RateMyPlacement.co.uk; from one-day insights to year-long placements.

And if you’re short on time or stuck at home, you can arm yourself with essential soft skills on our 4-5 hour, self-paced Work Ready Virtual Experience. (All you need is a decent WiFi connection!)