By Sanam Khalili
Going into college, a lot of people expect you to know exactly what you want to do with your future and career. In an ideal world, this would be true. But, most college students don’t have a set career in mind when entering school — and that’s OK! All that matters is that you utilize the resources your school provides for you, such as Career and Professional Development Services, and gain as much experience and knowledge as you can. A huge part of this includes taking advantage of internships.
While sitting at a desk and taking notes in class is one way to gain knowledge, internships are also a great way to learn about a certain field. Internships can provide students with amazing hands-on experience that will help them pave their career path.
So how does one score their dream internship? It’s not as hard as you think. Some people like to think that only those who are well connected can attain cool, corporate internships, but this is not true. Check out these tips on finding and scoring an awesome internship:
Tips on Scoring Your Dream Internship!
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Resume: Make sure your resume is concise; it should really only be one page long. In order to fit more on one page, minimize your margins! This isn’t an MLA-formatted essay, it’s totally cool to have small margins. Keep the formatting simple and clean, you don’t want recruiters to be overwhelmed. Make sure you are only including key information about yourself; Show these recruiters the best parts about yourself and your past experiences!
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Cover Letter: When writing a cover letter, make sure to address it “to whom it may concern.” You don’t want to accidentally address it to the wrong person. Research the culture and the values of the company you’re applying to! Show them that you know what you are talking about and that you are indeed the right fit for this company. Make it personal and original. Don’t be afraid to show a bit of your personality. No one wants to hire a boring robot. Show them who you are and what you’ve got! (In a professional manner, of course)
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Interview: The interview is probably the most crucial part of the whole job-process. It can be very nerve-racking, but just take a few breaths and remember that they wanted to talk to you! Don’t be anxious; they are eager to get to know you, so just be yourself. Make sure to speak clearly and not too quickly. Know your story. When the interviewer asks about your skills, interests, and prior experience, make sure to have an answer. More importantly, make sure your answers are truthful and accurate. Big companies will conduct background checks, so don’t lie about your past experience, or how long you worked there. Do some company research! Again, make sure you know the company’s culture and core values. If you are referencing information about the company, make sure it’s accurate! Make sure to arrive at least fifteen minutes early, if not earlier! Being early shows that you care, and that you respect the interviewer’s time.
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Post-Interview: Ask the interviewer authentic questions. Make sure you think about these ahead of time. This shows the interviewer that you care! Make sure to thank the interviewer for his or her time and consideration. Ask about a general timeline in regards to when you will hear back about the position. Don’t forget to follow up! At the bare minimum, send two follow up emails. The first one should be the day after the interview, and the second one should be a week after the interview. Make sure to thank the interviewer again for their time in these emails.
Follow all of these steps, and getting that dream internship will be easy! Remember to be confident and be yourself!