The internship search, like the job search, can be endlessly exhausting. To underestimate the amount of time, effort, and self motivation internship searching takes is also foolish. I know this better than anyone else. In the past year i have interned at 5 different places – some simultaneously, others not. Kinda makes your head spin doesn’t it? No more so than mine.
However, these internships were easy to snag. Living in the small town of Davis means competition is less likely to bite you in the butt. We have opportunities thrown our way; through message boards, tabling on the quad, emails from our departments, and not to mention the handy college and career center. But outside of Davis I have found that the search is not so easy. It doesn’t happen through a one time interview or a job posting on aggie job links. I decided last summer that this summer I would set myself up for a new challenge. Instead of staying in Davis or heading home to San Francisco to get an internship, I would head to the the big apple, the glory that is New York City. It wouldn’t be just any internship – I knew I wanted a fashion internship. With this in mind I knew that the road ahead would be tricky. I knew i had to plan – but for what exactly, I wasn’t sure.
After four months of endless searches, cover letters, phone calls, emails and anxiety, I got offered not one, but two internships in New York City. I figure because there is still time to get an internship I could offer some advice on the subject matter!
My advice is simple for snagging your dream internship. It’s simple create your own opportunities.
How to snag the perfect internship:
1) Be prepared:
I knew long before I applied to any place in New York that it was something that I wanted to do. I made an effort to plan ahead. I suggest that anyone who is looking to intern in another state or for a big organization do that same. Planning ahead can make you ready for the long road whether it be 4 months like mine or shorter.
2) Budget yourself:
Start saving. Even if its as little as ten dollars a week or 50 a month try to save the money. Save birthday money, holiday money, really any money you can, find it and save it. Travel expenses creep up on you so it’s best to map out anything you can in advance.
3) Who do you know (networking):
As sad it it may seem, sometimes getting the dream internship means doing some serious networking. My advice would be to figure out who to know. If you know someone who knows someone, utilize that relationship. A contact can be the key to another contact. This step is crucial: if you can do this, try!
4) Research:
It sounds obvious, but doing your research is no joke. Use Wikipedia, go to the organization’s website, buy the magazine, read about people who work in the business. This will give you a general sense of what goes on as well as what kind of people are involved. As you do this take down notes to help the information stick.
5) Go to internship websites (with a routine):
Half of my applications were a result of posts i found online rather than in a paper or by word of mouth. Today there are sites like Ed20120 or Free Media Internships or Media Bistro. It’s sites like these that helped me tremendously throughout my search. I used these sites like a routine. Check the sites daily for any other updates.
6) Resume and Cover Letter:
Take your cover letter and resume to an expert. Have them read it and get their advice. I went to the College and Career Center. With the help of a professional I was able to revise my resume and work on my cover letter to make it the best that it could be.
7) Follow up with your list:
When I first started to apply to places I realized that it would be the best thing to keep track of everyone I contacted. Create a document that states the name of the organization, the position, the contact name and the email. This way I could keep track of who contacted me and when. That being said, when you are contacted its extremely important to follow up! Send thank you emails or even letters it you like snail mail. Reiterated your appreciation for their time and your interest!