Tis’ the season for finding summer internships and jobs to keep us busy and our resumes better. Finding internships can be pretty difficult since the majority of other college students are doing the same thing- it makes the competition much more stiff. Not to fret though- there are ways that can make you stand out amongst other applicants. Check out some of these tips to score higher in landing your dream job or internship for this summer.
1. Perfect your reusme and cover letter
This one seems pretty obvious, but often times, a spelling error or mistake in your resume and cover letter can put you behind applicants who don’t have nay problems with their resumes and cover letters. Make sure that your resume and cover letter are free of spelling and grammatical errors. Another important piece of advice is to keep both your resume and cover letter to one page. If your resume begins to lead onto a second page make sure you do what you can to keep it as one clean and concise page- this makes it easier and less overwhelming for employers to read when they’re sifting through a large pile of resumes.
2. Apply early
It may almost be April, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s too late to apply for an internship. Many companies continously recruit until the month of May, but be sure you get your application materials in now instead of tomorrow. Your attentiveness to time will be appreciated by employers who may be getting swamped with applications closer to the end of the application deadline, and if your internship or job is on a rolling basis- you may just be able to score that highly coveted spot before anyone else if you act early. The early bird really does get the worm.
3. Follow-Up
If you don’t hear back from employers within a few weeks of applying- don’t panic. They’re probably busy going through as many applicants as they can and if you applied through an online system, there’s a big chance that your application got lost in the shuffle. Find out a contact e-mail (or phone number if the company specifies that you can call them) and send a personalized follow-up e-mail. Your chances of getting a response that way are much greater than if you just submit an application and don’t bother to follow-up on the status of your candidacy.
4. Sign up for LinkedIn
If you’re not familiar with LinkedIn now, you should start. LinkedIn is a social media platform for business professionals- both current and prospective. Use LinkedIn to follow companies you’re interested in working for, for showing off the skills you highlight on your resume, and connecting with friends and colleagues.