Applying to internships is no joke, especially in the current job market. It’s become normal to apply to hundreds of postings on Handshake or LinkedIn just to get a handful of calls back. This was me last fall: I sent out 100 applications to any internship that I thought I was remotely qualified for. From smaller local agencies to mega Fortune 500 companies, I submitted my application thinking I was doing everything right.
I did everything that my professors told me to do. I formatted my resume so it looked nice, I hyperlinked my portfolio, and I wrote countless cover letters. Yet each day I got rejection email after rejection email, and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.
This semester, I applied for half the number of internship postings, yet I got nearly double the requests for interviews. I interviewed with the New York Times, Keurig, Dr. Pepper, and even Walt Disney, and I got multiple offers from smaller agencies. Was it magic that I was suddenly getting all of these calls back? Nope. It was just the few small tweaks I made that completely changed internship applications going forward.
Your resume doesn’t need to “look nice”
My professors and academic advisors drilled into me that my resume needed to look beautiful, have ample white space, and use a multi-column layout. As a graphic design major, this made sense to me. Obviously, my resume would need to look nice to show companies that I am a strong designer.
Wrong.
While I was thinking that designers would be looking at my resume (which sometimes real people were reviewing my materials), it was actually A.I. and other ATS scanners that went through the initial application I submitted. Turns out, those machines actually can’t read a multi-column resume, so I was basically submitting gibberish.
After I realized this, I spent some time working on my resume. I based my updated version on the Harvard Resume Template, and I altered it to fit my experience sections. I also redid my “Skills” section and used keyword-specific skills.
Another learning I incorporated after digging through resume advice was to tailor my resume to each job posting. Many of these large corporations use machines to scan through the first round of resumes, meaning A.I. is looking for specific keywords in order to flag your resume and send it on to a real person to review. Because of this, I try to ensure the descriptions for each job I’ve had and the skills I list reflect the specific job posting that I’m applying for.
Know the cycle you’re applying for
I think it would be silly to say that just because I made a few tweaks to my resume that all of these companies were suddenly banging on my door to interview me. That’s ridiculous – and I also still got plenty of rejections…
It’s also important to consider what time of year you are applying for and when you’re submitting those applications. As a part of my degree plan at the University of Cincinnati DAAP, I am able to rotate my co-op semesters so that I can complete internships throughout the year, not just the summer. Because of this, I’ve been able to co-op during the spring (January-April), summer (May-August), and fall (September-December) terms. Here are a few key things I’ve learned:
- Winter/Spring Cycle: These dates seem to vary the most, with some starting as early as December and extending all the way through June. Applications for these typically open in September, and most companies will interview and extend offers in October.
- Summer Cycle: This is, of course, the busiest and most competitive time for internships, as most companies want to capitalize on college students being off for the summer. These positions can get posted upwards of a year in advance, so make sure you have job alerts set so you can apply as soon as an internship is posted.
- Fall Cycle: Similar to the Winter/Spring cycle, this is a much less competitive time of year for internships, yet many big companies are still looking for part-time or full-time interns. Take advantage of these seasons so you can up your chances of hearing back about a role.
It’s all about who you know
The saying is most certainly true: It’s not about what you know; it’s about who you know. While I’ve had success applying to jobs without knowing anyone at companies, I’ve also been able to network and make connections at plenty of other places.
Especially if you have internship experience, you already have a network of people that you could reach out to for advice or a recommendation. When I was at my previous internship with a local design agency, I was lucky to have the best mentor who reviewed my portfolio, gave me tips on my resume, and referred me to people she knows at other companies (major thank you, Holly!!). Take advantage of the resources around you. Trust me, 9 times out of 10, a person you reach out to really does want to help you succeed.
You can also reach out to professors or academic connections. I’ve connected with former classmates to ask questions about the places they’ve worked, which has given me great insight into all the potential career areas.
You never know where a connection could take you, so always put your best foot forward and be polite. Maybe one day you get an interview opportunity for your dream job, and you might happen to know someone at the company who could put in a good word.
My takeaways after 3 internships
At the end of the day, it ended up being really simple tweaks or small changes in my job search process that got me to where I wanted to be. And while I won’t be interning with any of the companies I name-dropped, I’m excited to take a bite out of the big apple in the spring to join a design firm I really admire. You never know where your career path will take you, so be open to new experiences and learn from the people around you!