"The UCD Quinn Internship Programme gave me the opportunity to work for Activate Capital, a specialist real estate lender. The internship was highly enjoyable throughout and it gave me a great platform to gain deeper insights into the financial services industry. As Activate Capital has a relatively small number of employees, I benefited from acquiring hands-on experience and I was always assigned meaningful tasks which were beneficial to the wider team. I was given the chance to work on both the Transaction Origination team and the Portfolio Management team, which allowed me to gain great exposure to many experienced individuals in the company. I developed and improved many different skills, including teamwork, time-management and leadership skills. My financial literacy improved greatly also, and I learned a lot about myself during my internship. I improved my knowledge of the industry and acquired a broader understanding of where I want to work after I leave UCD. The internship year has motivated me to excel during my final year, after getting a taste of the working world. I would definitely recommend all second-year students to capitalise on this great opportunity." - Ciaran Joyce, BSc Ec&Fi

"Having the option to undertake an internship was a deciding factor for me when choosing to study on the Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Quinn. During my 10-month Marketing Internship in Chill Insurance I gained and improved on some very valuable and transferable skills which employers look out for in potential candidates, such as teamwork, communication, and time management skills. Through being assigned high importance tasks that are vital to the business performance I learned the importance of responsibility by being held accountable and having my team depending on me to fulfil my role. As a result of being one of two interns in a team of Eight people, the level of exposure and experience I gained was exceptional.

I believe that my internship at Chill Insurance has been very valuable and worthwhile and I have learned so much about both the marketing and insurance industries. I would recommend the internship programme to anyone who is considering it. I am very grateful to have been given this wonderful opportunity and I look forward to returning to UCD to complete my Commerce Degree and progress towards a future career in marketing." - Aimee Dunne, BComm

"During my second year in UCD Commerce we were presented with the opportunity to apply for an academic internship.  I knew that this was a great opportunity to develop key skills I had learned in college.  My 12 month internship with the HR Operations team in John Sisk and Son has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of how large companies work on a day to day basis.  During my time with Sisk I was able to get involved in many initiatives outside the realm of my department, such as diversity and inclusion forums and social responsibility projects. 

The internship year gave me a real insight into the world of work, which gave me an increased sense of independence.  Not only did it allow me to enhance key skills I had learned in UCD but it also enabled me to mature as a student going into final year.  I would highly recommend the internship year to any Quinn student as it gives you a real insight into the world of work." - Eoghan Keegan, BComm

Ellen interned abroad with Northwell Health in their New York offices.

"I would highly recommend the internship year to any student. It was a superb opportunity to improve my skills including networking, communication, organisation and most importantly, the language of professionalism. The internship year allows a student time and space to grow and develop their strengths and to work on their weaknesses through positive feedback.

I chose to take part in the internship year to experience ‘real time’ learning in an active workplace. Here I could apply the theories studied in a vibrant company setting. I was also eager to become involved in projects and form part of a team who would plan, guide, develop and execute these projects. The year afforded me to the opportunity to complete my work placement abroad. I benefitted enormously from a move to a large city like New York. I had to embrace a new job, a new city, a new culture and arduous journey to the world of property.

The year also offered me the chance to improve my interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written. I was given responsibility for a variety of tasks. I was required to understand and navigate financial statements and their link to the operational side of the business. The experience was extremely rewarding and affirming, as the projects for which I had complete responsibility elicited change. Northwell Health offered a unique experience by structuring my internship into three stages.  I spent time in government relations, hospital finance and business development." - Ellen Jordan, BComm