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Finding an internship or apprenticeship: stress and solutions

Published on October 10, 2026 · 6 min read

Dozens of applications, few replies and a deadline getting closer: looking for an internship or a work-study placement has become a source of stress for many students.

This stress is not limited to one country.
You find it in France, Morocco, Spain and the United Kingdom.
In this article, you will understand its causes, the role of connections, the differences between these countries and the solutions to get through it.

1. Why looking for an internship is so stressful

Elizabeth sends her fortieth application.
Her classes start again in three weeks.
Without a company, she will not be able to validate her year.
Meanwhile, a classmate found her internship in one week, thanks to her uncle.

The difficulties

Places are limited.
Candidates are numerous.
Many companies do not reply, or reply with a refusal and no explanation.
And often, the internship or work-study placement is compulsory to obtain the degree.

The causes of stress

What is at stake: without a host company, the year may be lost.
Time: deadlines are short and pressure builds every week.
Money: some students rely on work-study contracts to pay for their studies.
Uncertainty: you do not know why you were rejected.
Comparison: seeing others succeed makes you feel like you are failing.

Connections: a real inequality

Using connections means getting a place through someone you know, rather than through your profile.
Students whose parents have a professional network find placements more easily.
Those without one have to send many more applications.
This imbalance adds a sense of injustice to the stress.

The consequences

On health: fatigue, anxiety, sleep problems, loss of motivation.
On studies: a postponed year or a course abandoned.
On the future: less experience when looking for a job.
On equal opportunities: students without a network fall behind.

2. France, Morocco, Spain, United Kingdom: four situations compared

In France: work-study contracts harder to find

According to the 2025 annual study by Apec (a French executive employment association), quoted in the press, 67% of higher-education students had difficulty finding a company for their apprenticeship contract.
The figure rises to 75% for young people from modest backgrounds, compared with 63% for others.
Public subsidies paid to companies that hire an apprentice were cut in 2025.
Since July 2025, companies must also pay a €750 contribution for an apprentice at bachelor's level or above.
The result: fewer offers.
According to a written question published by the French National Assembly, the number of apprenticeship contracts started in 2025 fell by 4.9% compared with 2024.
Good to know: a student generally has three months after the start of their course to find a company.

In Morocco: the weight of networks

A survey by the website Stagiaires.ma and the firm BMarketing showed that 84% of interns had struggled to find an internship.
According to this study, companies recruited interns first from their CV database (63%), then through personal networks (52%), and only 29% used the internet.
Only one internship in three was paid.
These figures date from 2014, but they show a trend that many students still describe today.

In Spain: tackling "fake interns"

In Spain, the main issue is the quality of internships.
The Ministry of Labour reported that around 1,600 "fake interns" were regularised by the Labour Inspectorate between 2021 and 2023: students used as employees without the corresponding rights.
In March 2026, the government sent a bill called the "Estatuto del Becario" (Intern Statute) to Parliament to regulate internships better.
It notably provides for the reimbursement of interns' expenses and the right to rest.

In the United Kingdom: unpaid internships and connections

According to a study published in 2025 by the Sutton Trust, a British charity, 51% of recent graduates have done at least one internship.
But these internships were almost twice as likely to have been found through family or friends (20%) as through an advertisement (11%).
The gap in access to internships between working-class and middle-class graduates has grown from 12 to 20 points since 2018.
Around three internships in five were unpaid or underpaid.

Are the causes the same everywhere?

Partly, yes.
In all four countries, there are three common causes:

More candidates than places.
The weight of networks, which favours students who are already well connected.
The cost of internships: poorly paid or unpaid, they penalise those without family support.

But each country has its own main difficulty: funding work-study in France, connections in Morocco, abuses in Spain, and unpaid internships in the United Kingdom.

3. Solutions to succeed, even without connections

Start early and get organised

Start your search several months before the deadline.
Track your applications in a table: company, date, reply, follow-up.
Follow up politely after two weeks without a reply.

Take care of your application

A clear CV makes the difference.
Create yours with our free CV builder.
Tailor each letter to the company with our cover letter tool.
One personalised application is worth more than ten identical ones.

Build your own network

A network is not only inherited: it is built.

Your school: careers service, alumni, teachers.
Fairs and forums: you meet recruiters directly.
LinkedIn: follow companies, comment, contact professionals with a short, polite message.
Speculative applications: they reach offers that are never published.

Asking a professional for advice is not using connections unfairly: it is networking.

Protect your morale

Set simple goals: for example, five careful applications a week.
Do not take a rejection personally: it often depends on the number of candidates.
Talk about it with your family, classmates or your institution's health service.
Keep time for yourself: sport, going out, rest.

If anxiety becomes too strong, do not hesitate to see a health professional.

Conclusion: stress can be managed, a network can be built

Finding an internship or a work-study placement is hard, in every country.
Connections exist and create inequality.
But they are not inevitable.
With organisation, a careful application and a network built step by step, you greatly increase your chances.
Each application brings you closer to your goal.
Start today.

Sources

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