Although spring semester seems to have just started, it’s never too early to start thinking about summer internships. Internships are a great way to develop skills and gain experience that you wouldn’t typically learn in a classroom, as well as creating connections that could lead to a career after graduation. Here are some tips that will help you find the internship you want!
Photo courtesy of Pexels
1. Visit your college career center
Career centers are a great resource for help when you don’t know where to start. Carthage specifically has an awesome career center with a well-trained staff who are willing to help with any step of the process!
2. Research, research, research
A lot of what you’re going to have to do is your own searching. Most opportunities will not just fall into your lap, so doing research and finding opportunities in your area will definitely help. Once you do this, research more about the company, because applying and getting the interview will mean you’ll have to know about the company who’s interested.
3. Try filtered Websites
Websites such as Indeed are a huge help! You can narrow your search to the type of internship you want, as well as the area. Visiting the Carthage Career Services website will also help you with this, where internships are posted and updated regularly.
4. Use LinkedIn
Most opportunities for networking today are done online, especially on LinkedIn. Now is definitely the time to sign up and make connections! The website allows you to receive recommendations from past employers, as well as showcase what you’ve learned in your classes. Are you Excel certified? Done a marketing project in class that applies to the type of work you want to do? Put it on your profile!
5. Apply as much as you can
Counting on that one internship will probably not do you any good. Although for some it works out, only applying to one or two internships will not get you very far, especially for how competitive a lot of internships are. If you find many internships you are qualified for in your area, why not apply to them all? You’re most likely going to get a call and/or interview from at least one of them!
Searching and applying for internships can be a job all on its own. Although it can be hard to find the time, doing a little work every day can end with huge results. Summer is sooner than you think, so cracking down and updating your resume is something you’ll thank yourself later for. Good luck!
Rep image courtesy of Pexels