One of the most difficult aspects of beginning your internship journey is undoubtedly the act of getting started. When all that’s on your resumé is a sales associate position at Victoria’s Secret and several leadership accolades, it can be tricky to figure out where to begin and how on earth you’re going to find the internship that’s right for you. Luckily, every great journalist or public relations pioneer had to start somewhere and there are ways to land the opportunity of your dreams.
First things first, you need to do your research, apply for as many internships as possible, and understand that the first internship is often a stepping stone. This means that while you may not be interning for Vogue or Cosmo right off the bat, you will be gaining valuable experience and a fresh stamp on your resume. When doing your research, it helps to know where to look and how best to get in contact with potential employers.
One of the top websites for posting internships within the field of communications happens to be Ed2010, which posts the latest and greatest communications internships on the daily. Ed2010 gives you all of the details of the internship, including the applicant credentials, description of the intern’s daily responsibilities, and even potential payment opportunities. If you’re interested in a particular internship, all that’s left is composing a quick email to whom posted the offering and attach your resume and cover letter.
Another great resource for first time interns is a website called Internships.com. This internship database is what lead me to my first internship and several other strong offers as a first time intern. Unlike Ed2010, this site functions to serve interns of all professions and you will need to do a bit of sorting in order to filter the results that interest you. Then you will need to create a profile, which is similar to a Linkedin page. This step is crucial because it will help you in applying for multiple internships quickly and efficiently. Afterwards you may begin applying. The site has a handy one-step-apply function, which allows you to copy and paste a neutral cover letter (make sure to change the names!) and it saves all other information so that you can do a mass send-off. It may sound a bit crazy but one year ago at this time I applied for 50 internships in one afternoon through this method and I ended up with about twelve legitimate offers. Hearing replies right away was pretty incredible and from there I needed to do a bit of sorting to weed out potential scams.
Weeding out scam artists is crucial for first time interns and this may require the help of an advisor, professor, or a friend with ample internship experience. Make sure that the opportunity is legitimate by either meeting in person for an interview, or over Skype. Be firm in going over the daily requirements of the internships and don’t be afraid to cut ties if things appear to be sketchy. If you get bad vibes, there is most likely a reason for it and you want an internship that will help you grow as a young professional instead of waste your time with menial tasks.
Once you’ve got a few good options to choose from and you have offers on the table, make sure that you weigh the pros and cons of each opportunity. This is where first time interns often slip up and I myself wish I could have gone back and looked more carefully at what was in front of me at the time. You want to make sure that you’re selecting the best internship opportunity for you, because it will most likely be unpaid and you’ll definitely be pushed outside of your comfort zone no matter what. Even though a big name is flashy and looks good on a resume, you may be more of a start-up kind of girl. Consider what internship best aligns with what you’d like to do in the future (doesn’t have to be a direct match) and what opportunity will give you a boost for your next professional adventure. The key is to keep an open mind, because no matter what you will change and grow during your first internship. The change may be as simple as realizing that you’re more small-scale blog than global news platform, or cause a life-changing switch of majors. Either way, getting your first internship is a pivotal point in your college career and it is important to start off you editorial pursuits on the right foot.
So what are you waiting for? Start applying right now! You never know what kind of internship opportunities lie ahead.