Time for a reality check: it’s March 17 and if you’re thinking about getting an internship this summer, you’d better get moving. Hopefully your resume is in tip-top condition because you spent all of spring break updating and formatting it. But if it isn’t, visit the BU’s Center for Career Development’s webpage for creating a winning resume. Then, once you think you’ve created the best resume possible, walk into the CCD (on the sixth floor of the Yawkey Center for Student Services) and sign up for a time to get your resume reviewed that day. The meeting will last about 20 minutes and there are appointment slots all day. You can find also more information about appointments on the office’s website.
While you’re working on your resume, you also should be thinking about what kind of internship you’d like—based on location, type of position you want, type of company/organization you’d like to work at, hours a week you plan to work and pay. It’s important to weigh all of the options to find the best fit for you.
Think about where you want to spend your summer working and how much it would cost to live there. Plan on interning close to your hometown? Cool—(hopefully) you don’t need to pay rent to mom and dad. Considering staying in Boston? You can easily find affordable places to stay during the summer—check out this housing Facebook page for BU students subletting their places. If you’d prefer to intern in New York City, Silicon Valley, or any other place that’s not home for you, research how much it would cost to rent a place and how much transportation would cost. Keeping a budget in mind is also useful. And if you don’t plan on going home or staying in Boston, it’s best to find housing as far in advance as possible.
Definitely consider what type of position you want. This can help you tailor your search after you narrow it down to a location or two. Think about your major, past experience (professional or student group) and interests. Look for positions that you have the skill sets for that you’d also enjoy. For example, if you’re studying communication, you could apply to intern at an advertising agency (in an array of departments) or you could also apply to do social media marketing at a local company. If you’re studying biology, you could apply to intern in a laboratory or at a medical-based non-profit. When considering what type of position you’d like, also think about what kind of place you would like to intern at. Do you want to work at a big company or small company? What kind of work-place culture do you want? Are you looking for experience at a for-profit or non-profit company/organization? Answering these questions will help you tailor your search.
Then, consider if you want to work part-time or full-time. If you work a part-time position, you can get more time in for summer travel, a side job, or a second internship. Think about how you want to spend your summer holistically. It’s also useful to consider if you’d prefer to be a paid intern or if pay is unimportant to you. You could easily do an unpaid part-time internship paired with a part-time job or paid part-time internship. Paid internships can seem harder to come by, but some believe unpaid internships are the gateway to paid internships. This is not to say it’s recommended to get an unpaid internship first, it just tends to be less competitive, especially if you’re looking for your first position. But in the end, it comes down to where you’d be the best fit and where you’ll get the best experience. If you get a few offers from paid/unpaid programs, choose the one that you think is most beneficial for you, regardless of pay.
Assuming that now you have some specific companies and positions in mind, go to their websites and gather the information they have available for applying for an internship. Check the position qualifications and make sure you fit the bill. When going through the application you might have to fill out an online form asking you to answer a bunch of questions, provide your information and then upload your resume and other documents (cover letter, references, work samples, etc.), or you might just find a generic HR email to which that you can send your cover letter and resume.
If you need help writing a cover letter, the CCD also has cover letter tips available. At the same appointment you make for a resume review, you can also get your cover letter(s) reviewed so all of your necessary documents are in order. Again, go to the CCD the morning of the day you’d like to make an appointment for and sign up. More information is available on the CCD’s webpage. Many career counselors recommend tailoring your resume to each position you apply for. Keep this in mind if you’re applying for a variety of roles. You’ll need to adjust what experience you include on your resume and how you describe it. You want to show yourself in the best and most fitting light for each position. Feel free to bring multiple resume versions to your meeting with the CCD.
However, maybe you don’t yet have specific companies and positions in mind, though you do have an idea of the direction you want to take. If you find yourself in this situation, you can easily search for internships online across many websites dedicated to helping aspiring interns. Before going to any other sites, definitely visit BU’s Career Link. If you don’t have an account, it’s easy to set up—just use your BU email and your Kerberos password. All of the positions listed are BU verified and the recruiters have actually reached out to BU looking for top-notch candidates. Positions listed cover each major and are located all over the world. You can even apply directly through the Career Link for positions. But if you can’t find anything there that tickles your fancy, check out internqueen.com, internships.com and careersushi.com and search their internship postings. If you don’t find what you’re looking for (which is doubtful by now), you could also try a Google search with carefully selected key words including the location, position type and the word “internship.” You could also ask your classmates, coworkers, friends, professors and peers for advice—using your network is always a bonus.
Hopefully now that you’ve finished reading this article, you have a plan for finding a summer internship. But don’t wait! Deadlines are coming up and companies will want to be having interviews and making decisions soon!
I wish you the best of luck in this process and encourage you to reach out to me if you have questions or need more advice. Tweet me at @AllisonRebeccaP or email me at apenn@bu.edu! (Also, that workspace should be your inspiration. Definitely read Lauren Berger’s book, All Work, No Pay and look at that desk for intern motivation!)