Rare Internships FAQ

What types of internships are offered?
Rare offers paid internships in the Midlands in the UK. Internship positions are offered on a one-year basis. The roles we offer can differ each year - previous internships have been in teams such as Engineering, Art, Audio, and VFX.

Who isn't eligible for an internship?
Please check the individual role descriptions for full details on requirements. Unfortunately, we cannot select those who have already completed a year-long internship or have significant experience working in the games industry.

Where are the internships located? Do you provide housing?
We offer internships at Rare HQ in Twycross, UK, CV9 3QN. We are not able to offer housing or relocation assistance, we can, however, put successful candidates in contact with our current interns who will be able to provide some guidance.

Please note, internships at Rare require time spent at the studio for at least part of the week, so you’ll need to be able to commute or relocate closer to our Twycross studio as appropriate.

Can I apply for more than one internship?
Yes, if you meet the requirements and are interested in applying for more than one internship. We recommend that you apply separately for each one through our online application system. Additionally, we highly recommend that you tailor your application for each individual position. If you are unsure which internship to apply for, always target the one for which you feel you hold the strongest skillset.

I'm currently enrolled in university, can I apply?
Of course! Please just check that you meet the role requirements in the application, and most importantly that you can take a gap/placement year for the 12 months of the internship.

Do I have to provide a cover letter?
Yes please! Providing a Cover Letter gives you the best opportunity to introduce yourself, show us who you are and tell us why you want to work at Rare. Having no cover letter or a generic "Dear Company" letter may see your application overlooked in favour of someone more interested in Rare.

We encourage candidates to get creative! We've seen some really eye-catching cover letter formats, from videos to comic books.

Do I have to provide a portfolio?
Yes please! As above, this is a great opportunity to let us know what you'd bring to the role. It doesn't need to be finished or incredibly polished, we just want to get an idea of what you can do. Of course, if you do have completed or released projects, we'd love to see them.

Do I need a LinkedIn or other professional profile?
Entirely optional! If you do have one, don't forget to include a link in your application so that we can find out a little more about you.

What format should my application be in?
PDF is preferred, to ensure that what you see is the same as what we will see. Word documents are fine but be aware that their appearance and accessibility can vary across different versions of Word.

How does the interview process work?
First you need to apply with an awesome cover letter, CV and portfolio. Then there are usually 2-3 rounds of interviews, one of which will be an assessment day at the Studio which will include face to face interviews as well as some tests (if relevant to the discipline). If you get offered an interview after applying, feel free to ask more about how it works for your particular discipline then.

What if I don't get selected?
Intern placements are limited and competition is strong, so unfortunately, we can’t take everyone on! If you're not selected but you ask for feedback, we'll do our best to provide it so that you can come back stronger next time. You're then welcome to apply for an internship next year (if you're still eligible) or check out the other permanent and contract roles we have open to see if any of them are appropriate for you.

Do I need C++ skills for an Engineering internship?
For the Gameplay and Software Engineer roles, knowledge of C++ isn't required; programming skills and the right attitude are what matter. However, Rendering Engineer Intern applicants should be familiar with C or C++.

Do I need source control/game engine/cloud engineering experience for an Engineering internship?
No! As long as you meet the required qualifications for the role you wish to apply for, any extra experience is just nice to have on top.

What should I put in my portfolio for an Engineering internship?
Anything that can show off your programming or game development skills! If you've made a game or app that we can play with, please provide links to get to it, this is much easier if we can run it straight in a browser and don't have to download or compile anything. Videos of your work running are also an easy way to show something in action, please upload to YouTube or similar rather than sending files directly to us as we may not be able to open them. GitHub or other hosted code repositories will be really handy to show off the code underneath your projects, so we can really see what you can do.

Can I show off University projects for my portfolio?
Yes! So long as it isn’t breaking any of your University’s terms (hopefully they want you to share your awesome work!) then please show it off to us. If any base code or frameworks were provided and used or work done in teams, please mention where that starts and ends, and where your contributed work begins.

Do I need to be able to use an engine e.g. Unity or Unreal?
No, but if you have experience with an engine or made your projects with an engine then that is great.

What should I put in my portfolio for a 3D Marketing Art internship?
We are looking for interns with a great eye for composition and light. Our team is responsible to create imagery that evokes specific emotions, stories, or meaning within our images. We are interested in seeing these qualities reflected in your portfolio.

Presentation is a key aspect of your portfolio. Consider how you are formatting and presenting your work. Ensure that it is clear and comprehensible.

We are also always interested in the inspiration behind your work. What challenges did you overcome? Why did you create it, was it to learn, or try a new technique?

What software should I know?
The software we use are Unreal Engine and Photoshop. It is preferable if you have some experience with any of these, but it is not essential.

The internship is to help you learn and grow, so a basic understanding is sufficient.

Nothing is an instant pass or fail
It's important to stress this. Applications are about building a case to show us why you should be considered. The more opportunities you give yourself to highlight your talents, the greater your chances of getting through.

Don't compare yourself to others
Be ambitious, but don't be harsh on yourself. Aim to be the best version of you, comparing yourself to the you of last week/month/year, not to other people. If you've grown and improved in that time, that's all you can ask!