5 Tips To Secure An Internship
1. Utilize Connections
One of the most important and effective ways to secure an internship when you don’t have a lot of experience is to utilize your connections. The ability to network is a valuable skill to possess.
2. Resume
Most internships require you to send in a resume. A standard resume should be one page long and include: name, major, school, contact information, and experience. When formatting your resume, simplicity is key. It is important to avoid distracting fonts and colors and focus on creating a clean, easy-to-read document.
Another tip that seems simple, but is so crucial for success, is to spell check your resume. When applying for an internship or job, a spelling error can be the difference between moving to the next round or not. Make your resume ahead of time, then reread it with a fresh set of eyes. It is difficult to catch your own typos, so have someone you trust take a second look at it. Lastly, there are several online resources, such as grammerly.com, that will help you create the perfect resume.
3. Cover Letter
Your resume acts like a summary while the cover letter is a more in-depth story. Here, you can let your personality, aspirations, strengths, and experience shine. Sell yourself. Let the company know why you would be a valuable asset to their team.
4. Interview
So you made it to the interview round — great! Don’t let the idea of an interview intimidate you. Remember, it’s an interview, not an interrogation. Go in with confidence. Most employers are rooting for you to do well, not hoping to watch you crash and burn.
Before you go in, make sure you do some research on the company. Brush up on what they do, who is in charge, and an overall understanding of who they are as a company. Know how to “pitch” yourself. Prepare a short summary of who you are as a person, student, and potential employee and how you would fit into their current team.
5. Be Persistent
If you don’t land the job, don’t panic and certainly don’t give up. Rejection is just part of the process. With each application you will get more and more comfortable and confident. When the right job or internship arises, you will undoubtedly get the position and excel. You just have to be patient and persistent.
Good luck and happy internship hunting.