How to spot a good internship, by multidisciplinary creative Alfie Wheatley

So, you’ve built your portfolio, polished your CV and have started looking for an internship to break into the industry – only to find that it’s not all that straightforward. Competition is fierce, opportunities can be scarce, and how do you know if the role is right for you? Alfie Wheatley knows the struggle well. A multidisciplinary creative who’s worked with the likes of Adobe MAX, Nike Football and Levi’s, he started his career as an intern too. From staying motivated to spotting red flags, here’s everything he wished he’d known from the start.

Alfie working on one of first projects at Anyways, for Paul Smith’s Foundation

When I was studying graphic design at the University of Brighton, I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted to do when I graduated. I’d really enjoyed typography, printmaking and creating beautiful layouts, so I was set on print and publication design. But what I’d yet to gain was much hands-on experience. That’s where internships came in: they seemed like a good way to learn by doing, broaden my skill set and build my experience.

That is, until I started applying. The job market was tough then – and, to be honest, it seems even tougher now. Fewer internships are being advertised and there are less roles available since many independent studios have been swallowed up by larger corporations. But don’t let that discourage you! I didn’t feel positive about the job market when I graduated either. Eventually, things did turn around and I ended up doing four internships, each of which taught me new things about the industry and myself.

Inspiration work for Alfie's typography

Not all internships are created equal

Internship #1: The remote role

My first internship was a remote role with a small digital design studio. I landed it through a cold email and was glad to finally get my foot in the door. But I never really got the chance to interact with people in the company, which is crucial when you’re starting out. As a beginner, I needed much more contact time in order to grow and learn.

Internship #2: A hands-on hustle

Thankfully, my next internship provided just that. This was at a tiny print and publication studio, and I got to work directly with the two founders. Suddenly, I was picking up new technical skills that I hadn’t learned at university, getting exposed to real-world situations like client negotiations and decision-making – stuff that interns in larger companies don’t always experience firsthand. By the end of my time there, I was even managing an entire print project on my own and getting mentored on how to push it further.

Internship #3: The short-lived dream

My third internship started out as an amazing opportunity at a studio I admired, who had reached out after seeing my portfolio. They offered me a two-month internship, only to cut it short at the end of one week because a big project fell through. It was frustrating because I’d been so impressed by their work that I already turned down other job offers. Lesson learned: don’t choose an internship solely based on how cool the studio seems.

Internship #4: Where it all came together

By my fourth internship, I felt like I was finally hitting my stride. This six-month placement focused on art direction and ideation. It taught me how to generate strong ideas, present pitches to clients and expand initial concepts into full campaigns. The opportunity to try a bit of everything gave me a really balanced skill set and showed me that the right internship can set you up for success.

More of Alfie's grad project linking rave and football hooligan subcultures

What makes a good internship? 

Given how varied internships can be, it’s important to be discerning about what you’re getting yourself into. It’s not just about what you can do for the company – it’s also about what the company can do for you.

✅ Green flags

You’ll know you’re in a valuable internship if it has the following:

Opportunity to learn
You want to be getting involved in real projects, not just menial tasks, and receiving constructive feedback on your work.

Clear communication
The company should be transparent about expectations, responsibilities and who you’ll be working with.

A solid contract
There should always be written documentation outlining the details of your internship before you start.

In-person hours
While remote work offers flexibility, you need to be face-to-face with people in order to truly learn, especially when you’re just starting out.

Fair compensation
Be wary of unpaid internships – your time and skills are valuable.

🚩 Red flags

You’ll also want to steer clear of internships that demonstrate the following:

No contract
It’s not a good sign if there’s no official paperwork as it signals that the company isn’t serious about your role.

Slow responses
If people in the studio take weeks to reply or send vague responses, it could reflect a disorganised or unprofessional environment.

No set hours
Again, flexibility can be great – but not having a clear structure can lead to working overtime and unrealistic expectations.

Lack of contact time
If you’re not introduced to other people and their job roles, you’re not going to learn how the team really works or build meaningful connections.

Alfie's art direction for Adobe MAX identity 2024 in collaboration with BUCK Amsterdam

What should you take away from an internship?

Say you’ve dodged all the red flags – what can you expect to gain by the end of a good stint at a company? Technical skills aside, here are a few things I developed over the course of my internships.

Knowing what you want
When you’re starting out, you might think you know what you want to do. But that can change – and that’s a good thing. Remember how sure I was about working in print and publication design after graduating? After a few internships, I realised that I didn’t love how technical the day-to-day work was. Instead, I found myself more drawn to the experimental, concept-driven side of things. So, be open and pay attention to what excites you because that can steer you towards what you’re going to enjoy most.

Connections
Internships allow you to build relationships that can open doors later. This goes for any size of the organisation you’re working in. In small studios, I found it easier to form connections with colleagues because I was working so closely with them everyday. That’s not the case with larger agencies, where project teams tend to chop and change – but bigger organisations have more people, which helps with making industry connections and expanding your network.

Confidence
One of the biggest areas of growth for me was confidence. At university, I did learn about putting together and presenting my portfolio, but being at a real workplace meant having to articulate my process, defend my choices and action others’ feedback. All that built up my confidence, and by my final internship, I felt much more prepared to enter the industry for real.

Top tips for landing an internship

If you’re ready to start applying, don’t do what I did and blast emails out to hundreds of studios. Instead, be strategic about your approach and use these tips to help you stand out.

Be selective with applications
When I first started looking for internships, I made the mistake of sending tons of generic emails to company-wide addresses. Having been on the other side, I’ve realised that those messages often get lost or ignored. A much better approach is to reach out to individual people – and personalise your messages; it makes all the difference.

Ask tailored questions in interviews
Don’t just prepare answers – be ready with questions too, and tailor them for the company you’re interviewing with. Asking project-specific questions is an especially good way to show you’ve done your research and genuinely care about the work they do.

Don’t accept an offer too fast
Once you do have an offer, keep your options open, at least for a short amount of time. This gives you the chance to consider what’s best for you. I made some quick decisions early on in my journey and ended up in one internship that wasn’t quite ideal.

Go get ’em!
Advice aside, the hardest part of the process is staying motivated, especially if your internship search drags on. I went through that waiting game and had to continue believing in my work as well as do little bits of freelance work to get by. But no experience is wasted. Whether it’s time in between or jobs that didn’t go as planned, I always learned something valuable.

The key is to keep learning and to stay open. The right opportunity arose for me eventually – and so will it for you.