Module 2 · Get Your First Internship
Find Opportunities (Including Remote)
Find internships through job boards, LinkedIn, direct approaches and your network, find remote roles, and spot fake offers before they cost you.
About 25 minutes
Where to look
| Source | How to use it |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn Jobs | Search "intern", "internship" or "graduate trainee" and filter by location or Remote |
| Job boards | Jobberman, MyJobMag and HotNigerianJobs list Nigerian internships |
| Company career pages | Many banks, consulting firms, tech companies and FMCGs run internship programmes |
| Your school | Career services, SIWES coordinator, departmental notice boards and WhatsApp groups |
| Your network | Lecturers, alumni, family friends, older students who've done placements |
Ask directly
Many small and medium businesses never advertise internships but will take a keen student. A short, polite email works:
Output
Subject: Internship enquiry – Accounting student (UNILAG)
Dear Mrs Adeyemi,
I'm a 300 level Accounting student at the University of Lagos looking
for a 6-month industrial training placement from February 2027.
I use Excel confidently (see my portfolio: [link]) and I'm keen to
learn how an accounting firm like yours works day to day.
Could your firm take an intern next year? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
Chinedu OkekeRemote opportunities
Remote internships let you work for organisations anywhere, from home. Find them on:
- LinkedIn with the Remote filter.
- Remote-friendly platforms such as Wellfound (startups), Internshala, and remote job boards.
- Programmes for African students and graduates, such as fellowship and training programmes run by tech companies and NGOs.
For remote work you'll need: a laptop, reliable internet or a data plan, a quiet place for video calls, and good written communication.
Spot fake internships
Scammers target students. Walk away if:
- They ask you to pay: for "training", "registration", "equipment" or "processing". Genuine employers pay you, not the other way round.
- The offer arrives without an interview.
- The email is from a free address (e.g.
hr.bigbank.recruitment@gmail.com) claiming to be a big company. - They want your BVN, bank PIN or OTP.
- The pay is far too high for a student role, or the job is vague ("data entry, ₦300,000 weekly").
Check the company: look it up on its official website and LinkedIn, and search its name plus "scam".
Try it
This message arrived in a student's inbox:
Output
From: hr.crestlinebank.recruitment2026@gmail.com
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS! Remote Internship Offer
Dear Candidate, you have been selected for a remote data entry internship
with Crestline Bank, paying ₦250,000 weekly. No interview needed. To secure
your place, pay ₦12,500 for training materials to the account below
within 48 hours, and reply with your BVN for payroll set-up.Task
5 minList the warning signs that this is a fake internship, one per line.
Your work is checked for
- Spots the request for money
- Spots the free email address for a big company
- Spots the missing interview
- Spots the BVN request
- Spots the unrealistic pay or urgency
- At least four signs
Task
10 minWrite a direct enquiry email to a real small business or organisation in your field that doesn't advertise internships. Include a Subject: line, who you are, when you're available, one thing you can already do (with a link if you have one), a clear question, and a sign-off.
Your work is checked for
- A Subject: line that says it's an internship enquiry
- A greeting
- Says who you are and what you study
- Says when you're available (months or dates)
- Asks a clear question
- A sign-off
- Short: under 160 words
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