Have you got plans for the summer? 

Make your mark by spending eight weeks this summer working with the UK’s largest publisher. Our paid summer internship roles sit across 9 different teams, with opportunities to contribute to projects in one of our publishing houses or specialist group functions. 

You don’t have to have previous experience to join our summer internship programme. With our support, you’ll gain universally applicable skills that will benefit you wherever your career takes you – whether that’s the publishing industry or elsewhere.  

Our summer interns are paid the London living wage and we offer financial support to those commuting from outside of London.

Read about the 2025 projects on our careers site. 

Eligibility criteria 

Our mission is to make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone. To achieve this, we are always seeking new voices to join us.  

If you identify as coming from a lower socio-economic background, this internship is for you.

You’ll either have been eligible for free school meals, or at age 14 your highest-earning parent/guardian was not self-employed or in senior management, and was employed in one of the following categories: 

• Technical and craft occupations such as: motor mechanic, fitter, inspector, plumber, printer, tool maker, electrician, gardener, train driver 

• Semi-routine manual and service occupations such as: postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, receptionist, sales assistant 

• Routine manual and service occupations such as: HGV driver, van driver, cleaner, porter, packer, sewing machinist, messenger, labourer, waiter/waitress, bar staff 

• Unemployed but seeking work 

We recognise these are broad categories that generalise from the many hundreds of jobs out there, and they may not exactly fit your family situation. Please use your judgement when self-identifying.  

It’s not a requirement to have completed any formal work experience in or outside of the publishing industry. You also don't need to be studying or have studied at degree-level to apply.

Please note that in order to apply you must be over the age of 18 and have a pre-established right to work in the UK for the entirety of the internship. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor Visas as the summer internship does not meet the minimum requirements for Visa sponsorship.

What will you be doing? 

Join one of 9 teams at Penguin Random House UK with this summer’s internship programme. You’ll be asked to select your top 3 project preferences in the application form. 

• International Rights Research Intern 

• Finance Intern 

• Science Fiction and Fantasy Intern 

• Business Change and Projects Intern 

• International Communications Intern 

• Social Media and Brand Intern 

• Children’s Custom Creative Intern 

• Events and Engagement Intern 

• Non-Fiction Editorial Intern 

Our application process 

• We’re using the inclusive hiring platform Applied to ask three questions about the universal skills we call ‘qualities’. You’ll answer three questions on the platform. We'll also ask you about your internship project preferences - be sure to select the top three intern roles you are interested in from the nine advertised. 

• If you’re successful you’ll be invited to submit a HireVue where we'll ask you further questions about your skills and your interest in the specific intern role you've applied for.

• If you’re successful as one of our finalist candidates, you’ll attend a virtual interview on 14th May and a group task on 15th May with your matched project team. You’ll be assessed on the rest of the qualities, get to know some of your potential colleagues, and come away with some helpful resources for the future. 

• The successful candidates will start the onboarding process, ready for your start on Monday 30th June! 

We will provide reasonable adjustments to those with a disability at all stages of the recruitment process and encourage any requests that will make you feel comfortable and confident throughout.

Application deadline: 23:55 on Sunday 6th April

Salary: London Living Wage and competitive benefits package (plus some financial support for those travelling from outside of London available upon request) 

Location: Hybrid working between home and our London offices (roughly 2 days per week in the office, to be discussed with the hiring manager)

A note on using generative AI in your application:

Here at Penguin, we believe in the power of authenticity and human creativity. 

As you apply for this position, we want to encourage you to showcase your unique voice. When answering the assessment questions, please share your own thoughts, experiences, and skills. This helps us get a true sense of who you are and what you might bring to our team.

We celebrate creativity and diverse perspectives, so please be yourself! While we recognise AI tools can be helpful, we recommend using them thoughtfully to ensure your responses reflect you.