So obviously, this is my little spin off of my favorite movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, unlike Andy Anderson, I will provide you with helpful tidbits on how to build yourself up to be a knockout and most importantly, how to stand out. We’re taking the (really) fast track with this 10-day plan…. so lets get started!!
Day 1- Reevaluate (Sunday)
Hopefully, this will fall on a day where you are hopefully not working on a project last minute or cramming for you economics test for tomorrow. Get yourself an amazing cup of coffee (I suggest you pop a Starbucks’s cup into your Keurig), slide under your covers and put your laptop on your lap…. You are now ready to start!
Research your interests, what internships you absolutely dream of having (and it wouldn’t be a bad thing if you found what companies offer it) or just general information about your ideal career. For me, I would lie in bed for one full Saturday and explore the different fashion PR agencies that are looking for interns for the upcoming winter and summer breaks. I also researched the latest fashion trends, information about the agencies that I found interesting and the ideal traits of ideal PR resumes.
Day 2: Organization (Monday)
Bring out the planners, pencils and highlighters. In order to prioritize the events that go on in your fabulous lives, write down all the meetings, assignments, parties, etc. along with any additional information such as time, locations, and deadlines. To add a little pop of color, organize your upcoming events by color-coding them.
What I usually find helpful is to color code it by importance. Through this, I am able to visually see when I have free time to be with my friends, hit the gym, complete assignments and for the sake of this blog, time to research internship opportunities. For example, in my planner RA events/meetings/duty times are in pink, swim club meetings, meets and practices are in blue, and teaching assistant assignments are in purple and all deadlines are starred and highlighted. Basically, my planner is a (organized) hot mess!
Day 3- Internship Coordinators (Tuesday)
So today is one of your big days! With the companies or careers that you researched from day 1, email the companies’ internship coordinator and ask if they have any internship opportunities for you during the breaks! By emailing the internship coordinator, you automatically develop a relationship with them: they know your name, the school you attended/major (hopefully you will include that in the email) and most importantly, you’re interested! If you email the internship coordinator early in the week, you will most likely hear from them at most a few days later!
Day 4- Advising (Wednesday)
Now that you may have a better idea of your interests and what you may like to do after BU, head over to advising! Review with them your interests and what you have researched about your ideal career/internship. With this information, you could ask your adviser how your interests can be incorporated into your course work/major. For those of you who have not declared a major, you could ask your adviser if they are able to suggest any ideal majors that support and cater to your interests.
Day 5- Goals, goals, and more goals! (Thursday)
This day is a great day for you to make a vision for yourself? Where do you see yourself after graduation? What accomplishments would you like to achieve during your time here at Binghamton?
Take out a journal or a laptop and simply jot down some goals you would like to set for yourselves. As corny as this may sound, I found this extremely helpful the few times I tried it. When I first tried this, I was 18 going on 22 (I was extremely ambitious for my age). The goals that I made for myself were to be hired as a Resident Assistant, be accepted into a study abroad program in Spain and work for a company apart of the fashion industry. Believe it or not, all of it came true! With this defined list of goals, I was able to make my dreams become a part of my reality.
Day 6 and 7- Relax! (Friday- Saturday)
The most important part of this 10-day plan is you. Within the past 4 days, you worked your tush off and I’m sure on top of it all, you had classes to attend, homework to do and tests to study for. Take this day to treat yourself. Give yourself a break by going to the gym, watching shows with your friends and go out for the night. Oh, and most importantly, sleep!!!
Day 8- Resume (Sunday)
By this point, you should have received a response from the internship coordinators you emailed on day 3. If they confirmed that they have internship opportunities for you and are interested in you…mazel tov! You are now able to build up your relationship with the internship coordinator and through this, may have advantage. Now its time to show them what you’ve got!
With the research that you did on day 1, hopefully you have a sense of the qualities and skills needed to land your internship. The key to the resume is to market yourself for the industry you want to work in!
Day 9- Cover letter (Monday)
Now it is time to start your cover letter. The way I view it, a cover letter is your chance to share with them two things: your availability (for an interview, start date of the internship, etc.) and how you are a benefit to their company.
You may elaborate on your achievements in the work place and how you obtained the vital skills needed for this internship, but you do not want to forget to mention not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company (#kennedystyle).
Day 10- Click Send (Tuesday)
It’s as easy as that! Compile all of your materials such as your resume and cover letter (if required) into one email and send it all to the internship coordinator!
And that my friends, is the very intense method on how to catch your career in 10 days. If you are determined to make a change in your college career and are determined to find the best internship experience for you, this is the way to do it. Or if you are not as intense (and impatient) as me, you can absolutely take this approach and expand it into a month or so. Either way, you are making an incredible difference for yourself and your future!
With love and luck,
Jacque