Snagging a paid internship could change your future

Saving money is already difficult when you’re at uni, but it can feel impossible when you’re expected to work for free.

It’s even harder to care about investing for the future when you’re not even sure if you can even afford a few drinks on Saturday night.

An internship can be the first rung to climb on the career ladder and, if you impress, can often lead to a full-time job.

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By law, companies must pay interns who perform productive work rather than just observe, but unfortunately this law is often ignored in Australia.

A paid internship could fill your mind and your pockets.

However, while many internships are voluntary, there are companies that offer paid positions.

The benefits of landing a paid internship are twofold – you gain valuable experience and are rewarded for your skills.

Here are just a handful of positions up for grabs:

Business students: Westpac’s program for students in their second to last year runs for 10 weeks from December in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Applications close 31 July.

Business and law students: Perth administrators KordaMentha are offering an eight-week internship from November 2015. Applications close 16 August.

Various disciplines: Shell is searching for paid interns for a 12-week human resources internship in Perth. Applications close 14 August.

Writers and editors: The Australian Book Review holds a year-long paid internship every year. The next magazine placement, which is based in Melbourne, will be advertised in April/May 2016.

Advertising and marketing students: Keep an eye out for next year’s Nest program from Diageo and Leo Burnett Sydney.

Once you’re making money, it’s never too early to start saving. Many Australians only start thinking about their super many years into their career, and by that time it might be too late to make a real difference.

But by starting early it’s easy to make a real difference to the lifestyle you’ll enjoy later in life.

Your employer is obligated to make super contributions on your behalf, but did you know you can also make voluntary contributions to your super fund? Plus, workers earning less than $50,454 per year can be eligible to receive a bonus Government co‑contribution of up to $500 a year. How much you’ll receive depends on your income. For every dollar you contribute from your after-tax income, the Government will put up to in 50 cents, up to a maximum of $500.

If you’re interested in seeing just how much of a difference small, weekly contributions to your super could make, check out AustralianSuper’s KickStart Your Future Tool.

It might feel like aeons away, but spare a thought for how you will feel when you retire. Will you be scraping together pennies? Or patting yourself on the back?

This article contains general information only and does not consider your personal objectives, situation or needs. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement and other relevant information at www.australiansuper.com to see if it is right for you. AustralianSuper (ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788) invests in The New Daily.