Interning is an invaluable experience; be it a two week placement to three months. The more experience you get, the more you can add to your CV, and one is able to realize what particular sector of the creative industry, that they want to be apart of. It's a journey that could be described as 'crazy paving.' Their is no direct route today and that is what i'm beginning to understand. The longest placement I have undertaken has been one month. The longer you are at a placement, the more responsibility you may get, if you perservere and persist. It can be frustrating when you are just making cups of tea, filing, stuffing 100's of cushions. But just being in a working environment is a great experience. Network, Network, Network - take the oppurtunity to talk to everyone in the company, even if it's just for thirty seconds. I have learnt more about the creative industry from asking questions, and then documenting what people have said. Today it can be hard as younger people within the firm, may come across as less friendly and less willing to talk about their positions, as they could be scared about losing their positions, especially in this current climate. So don't be put off. It's all a learning curve. Application process for internships is a timely process also, much like a job application; one has to write a good, well thought out covering letter and CV. I have been trying to get an internship with Monsoon for the past year – still unsuccessful – so many students/graduates are floating around in their graduate talent pool. Is it luck? Anthropologie – I have discovered that you can’t intern with them unless your university is linked to them, which is rather frustrating as they would be my dream company to intern for. I will just keep trying. Never give up. Loughborough University – good industry links for their sandwich year – still have to be able to fund your sandwich year, sadly. My friend interned for Next and Liberties, luckily she was able to live with her boyfriend and family friends during these long periods, and worked part-time on the weekend in retail to help fund her incredible experiences with these prestigious companies. Everyone's position is different. I have come across that most of the girls interning in London, already live in London with their parents and commute, therefore they have the oppurtunity to do placements for 3-6 months (unpaid) and this allows the company to remember them more if a job position did become available, although nothing is guaranteed. Everyone's position is different, so my advise would be to try and get any experience within the creative sector. Stay local at first, gain experience at university; become a student ambassador, put together exhibitions, crash on friends sofa's if they happen to live in another city, even if it's just for a couple of days. Just gaining experience could start to open doors and you may find that rather than going down the design route you happen to excel in the world of events. Just give it a go.