I started looking for a summer 2017 internship in March of 2017. Apparently that was late to start my search though but I did not know that at the time. I had not been thinking about the next summer during my fall 2016 semester abroad though. Once I got home to the U.S., applying for internships was one of my main focuses. I looked on many sites which I will discuss later in this post but was not seeing too many options for internships in the field I was pursuing. This was a bit discouraging and not what I was expecting. From my point of view, I was like "what company doesn't want free or super cheap help?" (even though unpaid internships are not ideal for the intern lol. Eventually I applied to some internships, interviewed and was then hired by 2 places! I was originally only supposed to intern a couple days a week at each company for the duration of the summer, however I was asked to stay on through the fall as well by both places. I then continued at one of them during the winter, the following spring, and now still work there after graduating from college. I am planning on doing another post about how to be a successful intern but before that you need to actually land your internship!
I wanted to include tips regarding how to find internships, the application process, how to land an internship, and random tips that I hope are helpful! So without further ado:
First Steps for How to Get an Internship
First off you need to figure out when you want to intern. Once you know that then I would say to start looking for internships at the beginning of the semester before you want to intern. For example, if I wanted to intern in the summer and start interning in June I suggest starting to apply in January. This way there are more opportunities the earlier you look. Also, it may take a decent amount of time for companies to get back to you and the interview process will take some time as well. Therefore it is better to give yourself ample time for the whole process.
I suggest applying to as many places as possible since it will increase your chances greatly. The reality is that some places you apply to may never respond to you at all unfortunately.
Another tip is to make sure you think about transportation and how you get to the location of the internship. This impacts whether or not to apply for the internship and whether or not to take it if the internship is offered. Unfortunately you may find a seemingly perfect internship but if it is too hard to get to it may not be the best decision to accept it.
Where to Look for an Internship
It is a good idea to check multiple websites because while some internships may be posted on numerous sites, others may only be on one site. Do not just favor one site. Make sure that you are looking at sites that are legitimate though. Sites that I have used for finding internships and specific sites I recommend are:
Indeed.com
Monster.com
LinkedIn.com
Glassdoor.com
Also see if your school has access to College Central Network. It is a website where companies can post openings to your specific college and you can also search jobs listed by major (that are not just posted to your school's page).
Use your network and check with professors, family members, friends, etc. to see if they know about any internships that you could apply for.
Another way to find internships is to look up local businesses and ask if they would need any help and would be willing for you to intern there.
You can also look up companies based in the area that you would like to intern in and then go to the career page on their website. This will allow you to see if they are looking for interns. I have found that sometimes companies only post openings on their own website and not on general job sites like Indeed, so it is worth checking the company's site.
And finally I suggest just going to Google and typing in what you are looking for, including the internship "title" and the area. For example, in the past I searched for "fashion merchandising internship boston". You may not get exact results but Google will show you positions related to your search and you may still end up finding something.
Also, keep in mind that you may not find the "perfect internship". Even if you are not sure if the specific internship is what you want to do it is still a good idea to apply anyway. You will at least get more practice writing cover letter and interviewing. And any experience is better than no experience,so you may have to take an internship that is far from your ideal one. You will still end up learning something and sometimes finding out what you do not want to do is actually very beneficial.
So once you have determined where to apply you can move on to the actual application!
Materials to Prepare
These are just some tips I came up with based on my experiences. If they conflict with the application instructions for your internships, of course follow what they are informing you to do and disregard my conflicting advice.
I think that it is helpful to write cover letters even if they are optional. If the internship description lists a cover letter as being optional it will make you stand out if you write one (since not everyone will). The extra effort will indicate to the company that you are taking the internship seriously, that you have an interest in the company, and it shows that you will go above and beyond the minimal requirements. It is something that many potential employers will appreciate.
One exercise I did in one of my junior year courses was to practice writing cover letters. In order to do this my professor had us look up jobs online that we were interested in and had us use those real job descriptions to practice writing cover letters. It was very helpful and I'm glad that I had the practice so I recommend trying this exercise as well. There are cover letter templates and resources online that you can use as guides too.
Having references ready is also important for when you are contacted by a potential employer. Always make sure that you have someone's permission before putting them down as a reference. Check with your college professors, advisors, mentors, former bosses, etc. that you've had good relationships with about using them as a reference. It is a good idea to have at least three solid ones whose contact info you have and can provide to potential employers when necessary.
The most important document, as you know would be your resume. Ideally it is one page long and lists your education, work experiences, volunteer experiences, extra curricular activities, and any awards or certifications you may have received. I suggest looking at examples of resumes online to see how they are set up and then start to create your own resume. Having a couple professors and/or your career services department at school look over your resume is very helpful! They have had much more experience with resumes and with getting jobs so their input is extremely beneficial.
Once you have your resume set make sure to remember to update it whenever possible. When you are applying for specific jobs or internships you can make slight changes to your resume so that you "highlight" (not literally highlight though) key information that caters to the specific company and position you are applying for. You will end up with different versions of your resume so be sure to keep track of which is which.
And finally, make sure that you have a LinkedIn profile and that it is up to date. Many hiring managers will look at your profile and you want to provide substantial information. I feel like having a LinkedIn shows that you are serious about your career and that you are ready to be a young professional (even if you may feel nervous since it is a big step).
Other Things to Keep in Mind
This last section just has other random tips and things to keep in mind!
If you apply to an internship and don't hear back for a few weeks you may want to send a polite follow up email to the hiring manager. You would only be able to do so if you have a way to contact them directly though. If you have the ability to reach out to them it is a good idea to just to see if they are considering you or if the position was already filled.
It is beneficial to have a list or spreadsheet where you are keeping track of what internships you have applied for and when. Then fill it out with more info if you get a response and do any interviews. This way it will be easy for you to figure out your next steps and you will have an easy way to see who you have heard back from and who you have not.
Sometimes you will never get a response from places that you applied to or you will only receive a "we decided to move forward with another candidate" message though. Try not to get discouraged. I applied to a lot of places that I never got any responses from and as there was no direct contact info I could not follow up. Keep in mind that some internship or job postings may be old or may have been filled but not removed yet. It is a great way to start learning how to accept rejection and preparing yourself for that outcome though unfortunately.
I tried to think positive even when I was starting to feel discouraged. I took not getting responses or being rejected as signs that just meant that the specific position was not meant for me and that a better opportunity would come my way in the future. Everyone has been rejected at some point and it is just a part of the internship/job hunt. I feel like everything happens for a reason though and things will all work out in the end!
I hope that you found these tips to be helpful and I wish you luck on your internship search!
As I mentioned, I am thinking about doing a post on how to be a successful intern so look out for that in the future!
I'd love to hear in the comments if you think you will use any of these tips or if you have other tips that I may have left out!
Thank you for reading!
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