Why your education level changes everything
The qualification being prepared determines almost everything: the possible length of an internship, whether an agreement is needed, the place of work-study, the contact person at the institution and even the way to write an application. A middle school pupil looks for a week of observation, a master’s student aims for an assessed assignment, an engineering school student prepares a series of internships with different objectives.
Four broad groups
- No qualification, middle school and secondary: discovering careers, the vocational route and first apprenticeship contracts.
- Higher education: BTS, BUT, DEUST, bachelor’s degrees, bachelor programmes and master’s degrees.
- Business and management schools: nine schools with their own career systems.
- Political science, engineering and specialised schools: courses where internships punctuate the whole programme.
Each group answers a different question: the middle school pupil asks which jobs exist, the vocational high school pupil how to learn a skill, the student which experience will add value to their degree, and the elite school student how to fit several internship periods around a career plan. Reading the right page avoids looking for rules that do not apply to your case.
No page guarantees an internship, an admission or a contract. The rules change: institutions remain the reference for dates and documents.
From middle school to the first year of high school: observe before choosing
The first contact with the world of work happens at school. The observation internship in the last year of middle school lasts five days, and the one in the first year of general and technological high school lasts two weeks. In both cases, the aim is to observe, not to produce.
Making a success of a week of observation
- Look early, because the most popular places fill up quickly.
- Write the request yourself, in a few clear sentences.
- Keep a logbook so you can write the report without stress.
The case of the young person without a qualification
Leaving school without a qualification does not close doors: immersion in a company, second-chance schools and support from a local youth employment office offer gradual steps. The aim is to test a job, get back into a rhythm and build a realistic plan.
After the middle school certificate
The page on the post-middle-school stage compares general or technological high school, the CAP and the vocational baccalaureate, in a school or through apprenticeship. Visiting, trying and asking questions before deciding avoids many changes of direction.
The vocational route: CAP, vocational baccalaureate, vocational certificate
Here, training in a company is a pillar of the qualification. The CAP and the agricultural CAP are prepared in a vocational high school, a rural family school or through apprenticeship. The vocational baccalaureate includes periods of training in the workplace spread over three years, or is prepared through an apprenticeship contract. The vocational certificate and the craft trades certificate are learned mainly with a workshop master.
Choosing between school status and apprenticeship
- School status offers more time in class and company periods supervised by the high school.
- Apprenticeship means finding an employer, but provides a contract and a more continuous presence in the company.
What to check
- That the host company fits the speciality.
- The skills actually taught, not just holding down a post.
- Safety, especially for minors.
For the craft trades, the quality of the workshop and of the master weighs more than the name of the institution.
After a general or technological baccalaureate
A general or technological baccalaureate does not lead to a specific job. Internships come later, in higher education courses, with an agreement. Before choosing one, it is useful to compare what each route actually provides in professional periods.
The main options
- A short, career-oriented course, such as the BTS or the BUT.
- A long university course, where the internship is sometimes optional.
- A private school or a bachelor programme, to be examined with caution.
Asking institutions the right questions
Is the internship compulsory or optional? How many weeks? Is work-study possible, and does the school help find a company? The answers are in the programme outline, which you should request in writing.
A student who is undecided can also test a sector through a voluntary observation internship, within the limits of what their institution allows.
Higher education: from two to five years after the baccalaureate
Seven courses are detailed here: BTS and agricultural BTSA, BUT and the intermediate DUT diploma, DEUST, general bachelor’s degree, professional bachelor’s degree, school bachelor programme and master’s.
Two years: BTS, BUT, DEUST
The BTS and the BTSA alternate classes with periods in a company, whose length varies according to the speciality. The BUT, over three years at the university institute of technology, gives a large place to internships and apprenticeship. The DEUST, geared to a specific job, depends heavily on the university that offers it.
Three years: bachelor’s degrees and bachelor programmes
The general bachelor’s degree does not always make an internship compulsory, but it can shed light on a plan. The professional bachelor’s degree, lasting one year, is more field-oriented. The school bachelor programme calls for checking: what the qualification recognises, what the school really organises, and what remains at your expense.
Five years: the master’s
In both the first and second year, the internship feeds a dissertation, a specialisation and often a first job. Coordinating the company supervisor and the academic tutor is essential.
Business and management schools
Nine schools are presented: HEC Paris, ESSEC, ESCP Business School, EDHEC, emlyon business school, SKEMA Business School, NEOMA Business School, KEDGE Business School and Audencia. They share one point: experience in a company is part of the qualification.
What changes from one school to another
- The structure of the programme: field internship, project year, gap year, work-study.
- Multiple campuses and the international dimension, particularly at ESCP and SKEMA.
- Careers services, recruitment fairs and alumni networks.
Searching methodically
A school’s reputation does not replace a careful application or a clear assignment. The criteria to set out before writing: target function, sector, size of organisation, working language, expected deliverable.
The agreement is signed before the assignment begins and specifies dates, tasks, supervisor and stipend. Each school publishes its own rules: consulting them remains the first step.
Political science, engineering and specialised schools
Nine institutions with very different approaches: Sciences Po Paris, École polytechnique, CentraleSupélec, Mines Paris – PSL, École des Ponts, Arts et Métiers, INSA Lyon, AgroParisTech and the Institut Français de la Mode.
Engineering programmes
In engineering schools, internships are staggered: discovering the company, operational immersion, research, then the final-year project. Each stage has its own objective and level of autonomy. At the École des Ponts, the IPPEX and the engineering internship do not play the same role; at Arts et Métiers, the first internship is lived as a shop-floor operator.
Sciences Po and fashion
Sciences Po opens onto consultancies, NGOs, international institutions and the media, with an internship declaration to plan ahead. The Institut Français de la Mode asks you to choose between creation, craft skills and management, with different proof for each function.
Specific points to remember
- At INSA Lyon, the assignment varies by department.
- At AgroParisTech, the scale studied changes everything, from the field to the whole supply chain.
Comparing levels and not choosing the wrong framework
The traps are repeated from one level to another: confusing an internship with a disguised job, neglecting the agreement, ignoring the length limit or accepting an assignment unrelated to the training.
Habits to adopt at every level
- Ask the institution for the list of documents and the deadlines.
- Obtain in writing the tasks, the hours and the name of the supervisor.
- Check whether a stipend is provided and under what conditions.
- Keep a record of exchanges and of the work done.
Bridges between levels
A vocational baccalaureate can lead to a BTS, a BTS to a professional bachelor’s degree, a BUT to a master’s. At each step, expectations rise: a master’s intern must offer analysis, whereas a middle school pupil should above all observe and ask questions.
And after your studies?
The university graduate still looking for a first experience will find pointers on the dedicated profile, reachable from the large button on the home page. For amounts and aid, the category on pay and allowances completes this reading.