Internship Program, Fall ’23
| Dates | Sep 4th to Nov 17th, 2024 |
| Arrive/Depart | Dublin |
| Cohort Size | 15 Interns |
| Length | 74 Days |
| Location | Dublin City |
| Fees | €10,500 |
Internship Program, Spring ’24
| Dates | Feb 22nd to May 7th, 2024 |
| Arrive/Depart | Dublin |
| Cohort Size | 15 Interns |
| Length | 74 Days |
| Location | Dublin City |
| Fees | €10,500 |
Internship Program
What’s it all About?
Our Internship Program gives a small cohort of students an opportunity to live and work in Ireland in a highly immersive and supportive environment, while building their independence and gaining valuable, real-world, work experience.
You’ll stay with one of our warm and welcoming host families in Dublin City while working roughly 40 hours a week at a small to medium-sized Irish business in your choice of industry.
Expect to get a real feel for Irish culture and to meet other interns from all over the world. Being part of a cohort provides a structure for socializing, while staying with host families allows interns to continue building out their independence.
With over 100 host-companies and host-families, we will match your work-placement and host-family placements based on your interests. Popular placements include creative writing, medical, baking and education.
Our interns also get to explore some Ireland’s hotspots with your cohort and Irish Gap Year Program Leaders on our weekend expeditions around Ireland. We’ll take overnight trips to Galway, Belfast and Donegal as well as day trips to the hill of Tara and Howth.
Our Internship Program is suitable for students aged 18-25 who are looking for a culturally immersive, professional work experience that balances independence with structure and travel with community immersion.
Find Out More
Host Companies
Regardless of your level of experience, we can guarantee an internship placement in most areas of interest. Our host companies are all small to medium sized (5 – 50 employees) businesses with whom we have longstanding relationships.
Prior to your work-placement, you’ll interview with your host company and have the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the management team. Interns will work roughly 40 hours a week alongside employees at each host company, sharing responsibility and tasks as a valued member of the team.
Upon completion of your placement you will receive a certificate of completion and letter of reference from your company.
Our Top 5′ Internship Placements
Early Education: Work in early education and childcare in a busy crèche in Dublin City and take part in the activities relating to pre-school and after school activities such as colouring, play-learning, drawing, homework and supervision.
Graphic Design: Work with senior creative staff on a range of ambitious and innovative projects from creative direction of campaigns, to typography, layout, animation and art direction. Students should have a basic knowledge and understanding of graphic design.
Law: Paralegal work preparing booklets for hearings, liaising with clients in relation to documents to be filed in courts and working in busy law offices in Dublin.
Creative Writing: Working at a the Irish ‘Rolling Stone Magazine’ equivalent writing album and film reviews, articles on current events and pop culture in Ireland. Help design magazine and e-magazine layouts and work to deadlines with a creative, young team in Dublin City Center.
Marketing: Help drive growth in a business to business environment working in
event management and publishing. Help develop and execute inbound marketing strategies and work toward project deadlines with a team of young professionals.
Click for the List of Internship Areas Available
- Accounting
- Advertising
- Agriculture
- Animal/Equine
- Management
- Architecture
- Arts
- Business
- Baking
- Communications
- Education
- Equestrian
- Outdoor Education
- Environmental
- Finance
- Food & Beverage
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Human Resources
- Import/Export
- Information Technology
- Journalism Marketing
- Media
- NGOs
- Outdoor
- Education
- Publishing
- Recreation
- Retail Sales
- Social Studies
- Telecommunications
- Transportation
Host Family Accommodation
Our interns live with host families in the greater Dublin area. Many host families have children, but some are older couples whose children had left the nest.
Irish Gap Year host families have vast experience hosting interns from all over the world. They are carefully vetted by our team and we have every confidence that you will have a comfortable, personal and culturally immersive stay during your time in Ireland.
You will have the opportunity to get to know your host family prior to arrival to Ireland. While with your host family, you will have your own bedroom and be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
One of the best parts of living with a host family is the high degree of immersion in Irish culture, you’ll really get to know your hosts and become close with them during your time in Dublin.
Student Support
We know that living and working abroad requires a real leap of faith and therefore offer interns the full support of the Irish Gap Year team throughout their internship program.
Interns avail of their own internship coordinator, available 24/7, as well as social outings with other interns from all over the world. The Irish Gap Year team will be there to support you from your first point of contact all the way through your internship program. Your host family provides a great degree of support as well.
You will receive a thorough orientation to your new workplace, the area where you are living and your host family (or shared housing) upon arrival as well as regular check ins from our team.
Cultural Exploration
One of the most exciting aspects of living abroad is the opportunity to explore another culture on a deep level.
You will come to know Dublin City very well throughout your time on our Internship Program. By living with Dubliners our interns are afforded a glimpse into Irish life that few visitors ever experience.
Our overnight trips around Ireland are always a big highlight for interns and a great way to see the four corners of the country. Irish Gap Year Program Leaders guide our overnight trips around Ireland offering support, context and plenty of local knowledge.
Your time on our Internship Program will leave you feeling like you’ve experienced life in Ireland in an authentic and well-rounded way.
Community Living
Ireland is well known for it’s warm welcomes, gregarious people and strong sense of community within it’s towns and cities.
Being welcomed into a new community of interns, co-workers and your host families locale provides interns with additional levels of support and kicks things off on the right foot for their time in Ireland.
One of the defining aspects of our Internship Program is integration into community. It won’t take long for interns will notice that Dublin is a city of small communities. The type of place where people know their neighbours, love a good chat on the street corner and are all too willing to go out of their way to make newcomers feel welcome.
Cultivating Independence
A key goal of our Internship Program is to create a supportive environment where young people can build their independence.
We achieve this by offering our interns the full backing of the Irish Gap Year team, through strong daily communication and a thorough orientation.
Some examples of how interns cultivate their independence throughout the program are:
• Building the confidence and knowledge to navigate their way around Dublin City by public transportation, making their way to and from work, the city centre and their host families.
• Working within a team in professional work placements.
• Learning to live with a new family and adapting to a new set of cultural norms and customs.
• Traveling throughout Ireland by train with your fellow interns and Irish Gap Year program leaders.
Trips Around Ireland
We’re passionate about Ireland and want our interns to experience the beauty of our country for themselves.
There are several overnight internship trips to some of our favourite places in Ireland such as Galway City, Belfast City and Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way.
What’s Included
- 24/7 Support from Irish Gap Year
- Thorough orientation to your workplace and new environment with Irish Gap Year leaders
- Overnight cohort expeditions to Galway, Belfast and Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way
- Friendly airport pick-up and drop-off
- Host family placement
- Work placement and Certificate of Completion
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week
- Dublin City Bus Pass
- Wi-fi at your host family
A Day In the Life of our Internship Program
A day in the life of an Irish Gap Year Intern involves being a good self-starter. Like college, there is no one to wake you up and move you along in the morning. Here is what typical day looks like at our music journalism placement:
7.30am: Wake up and have breakfast with your host family
8:15am: Take the Dublin City Bus or walk to work in the city centre
9am – 1pm: Working to write an album review with your peers
1 – 2pm: Lunch Break
2 – 5pm: Help design the layout of next months e-magazine
5pm: Walk or take the Dublin City Bus bac to your host family
6.30 – 7.30pm: Dinner with your host family
9pm: Head out to meet other interns for a pint at your favourite pub and talk about the days work