Remember when you were a kid, and summers consisted of going to camp and playing outside or going to the beach and spending the day swimming and building sandcastles? Back when our only job for the summer was having fun? However, once college starts, summers are about trying to get an internship in whatever field you hope to be in once you become a adult and making connections that you’ll be able to use in the future.
College students are always asking friends, family and teachers how to go about getting internships, how to act once you’re there and what’s appropriate to wear during the summer.
Finding Your Dream Internship
This is always the hardest part for most students because not only do most people not know where to start, but they also aren’t sure of how to receive an internship once one is found. Searching online at different job sites, as well as looking at the career center as school, are great ways of starting to look for an internship. Some of these sites include Ed2010 for journalism majors, internships.com, which allows you to search by major, job category and even city preference, and mediabistro.com. Harper Wayne, a senior journalism major, explained that these are all great places to look for internships. “I found a great internship on Ed2010 and it ended up helping me a lot with building up my resume,” explained Wayne.
Although these are great sources for finding an internship, one of the best ways to secure a summer job that you really want is by using connections you have through your family and friends. I know what you’re thinking, people are always putting down the use of connections, but this is only a way to get your foot in the door with an interview, your experience and abilities are what’s going to get you the job.
The last step before receiving interviews for an open position is making your resume and cover letter stand out. A great way to do this is by gaining experience during the school year by joining different clubs or finding jobs around campus that are prevalent to your major. This allows you to build up your resume with experience that relates to the internship you’re applying for. Another way to strengthen your resume is by adding any work experience you had in the past that shows your responsibility, such as working at a restaurant, camp or having a babysitting job for an extended period of time.
First Impressions are Important
After finding an internship, next comes the interview. This part is key and is easy to nail if you take a few steps to prepare. First off, dressing more conservatively is a must for an interview. Better to be a little overdressed than underdressed when trying to make a good impression. Next, always bring a copy of your resume with you, since your interviewer will most definitely ask for it. Lastly, have a few questions prepared to ask, so that you’re not sitting there with a blank face when you’re asked if you have any questions at the end of the interview.
What Not to Wear
Once you’ve finally received the internship you’ve been coveting for weeks, the tricky part of trying to figure out what to wear starts. Work apparel changes from office to office depending on the type of internship and what career field you’re in. However, some things hold true through all internships, the office is not the place to flaunt your cleavage, show of that really great crop top you got at Urban Outfitters or your favorite short sundress. Some offices are more relaxed than others, such as fashion or women’s magazines, where you’re able to show off your style and current trends in a still appropriate way, while other offices require more business-like attire. Either way asking yourself if your outfit is appropriate for dinner with your parents or grandparents is a sure way to check that you’re outfit is internship appropriate.
How to Make the Most of 8 Short Weeks
With only a few weeks in the office to make a good impression with your boss and the people you interact with on a daily basis, you need to make the most of every single day. Make sure to put a lot of effort into every task you’re given, even if it’s just typing up expenses by looking through a bunch of receipts (this happens, trust me.) When you’re not doing anything or don’t have a project at the moment, always ask if there is something you can help with. Remember, these internships are what’s going to help you potentially get a job after graduation and you want to be able to come back to these people are connections in the future.
Although we’d all rather be spending the summer sleeping in, going to the beach and just hanging out with friends, getting a good internship and putting all you have into it is really going to help you out when you’re a second semester senior freaking out that you’re never going to get a job and you’ll be living at home for the rest o