How to Land a NYC Internship:
New York City can seem vast and intimidating, especially for a college student looking for internships. With the help of Fordham resources, Fordham students have been known to have some of the most prestigious internships in the city. Here are a few tips to get you that internship you’ve been dreaming of:
Use your Fordham resources:
Fordham’s career fairs are always top notch with some of the most reputable companies in the city. They’re free, and a perfect place to network. Careerlink is also an amazing resources from Fordham. I’ve gotten two out of my 3 internships via careerlink. Employers specifically add these posts through Fordham because they are looking for students who are proactive and resourceful. Also, stay in touch with any Alumni you might meet at Fordham events. You never know when that contact is going to come in handy. Adding them on Linkedin or contacting via email is always a good idea.
Simple, clean resume:
Before I went to Career Services (McGinley 224) my resume was a hot mess. I thought it needed big letters, interesting fonts, etc. However, a clean, traditional resume is much more appealing to employers. Times New Roman, font 12 is your best friend on a resume. Head to Career Services for any help on a resume, or to print out your’s on specific (fancy) resume paper.
Side note: make sure you’re completely honest on a resume. There are too many horror stories about people lying on a resume and it ending terribly. (AKA) if you don’t know excel don’t put it on your resume.
Linkedin:
LinkedIn has been tagged as “the adult facebook”, which leads any millennials to stray away from the platform.However, LinkedIn is a fantastic way to build up connections and network virtually. They have specific features which show who Fordham alumni are, where they work, and how you can contact them. It’s important to make your profile clean and concise. Also, make sure your profile picture isn’t a selfie… (yikes!)
Do your research:
One of the best things you can do is do adequate research before an interview. Know who your boss is, where he/she went to school, what they do specifically. Also know who his/her boss is, what they do, etc. Definitely research their top products, their competitors, or any other standout aspects about the company. The more you know!
Dress appropriately:
Unless you’re interviewing for a sports center, leggings are not appropriate for an interview. Stick to clean, dark pants and an ironed button down. Flats are usually better as well, unless you’ve got some serious Carrie Bradshaw skills and can be sure you won’t trip on the way to the meeting room.
Show up 10 minutes early:
To be safe, show up approximately 10 minutes early. I wouldn’t recommend taking the ram van to an interview as it’s, 90% of the time, unreliable for time constraints. It’s also good to put your phone on silent, and keep a smile on.
Follow up email
Follow up with an email the same day as the interview. Keep it simple, but find a way to stand out. Ex. if you guys had talked about the new product they are releasing, it might be a good idea to state “I’ll keep an eye out for the new lipstick!” at the end of the email. Be creative, but not too personal.