Whether you’re pre-Med, pre-Business, or anything and everything in between, we all know the reality of stressing out to find that perfect summer internship. It could be an internship to network, explore different career paths, or just another experience for your resume. If you haven’t already, a great first step is looking to see what’s out there and throwing your hat in the ring. It can be a long and frustrating process, so here are some tips to help you get ready for what’s to come ahead.
Start early
In this case, the earlier the better. Most positions are filled in the spring, if not sooner, so it’s really important to get ahead and put yourself out there.
Do lots of research
Before you apply anywhere, you should always make sure that you’re applying to places that you would be interested in actually working at. It’s not worth wasting their time or your own if you never wanted to work there in the first place. There are tons of places that take summer internships, so keep an open mind and do some exploring.
Make sure your resume is up to date
Keeping an updated resume is a vital aspect of the application process. Emory has amazing resources that can help you make one if you don’t already have, or help you update and revise if need be. Use the school’s resources to help you—they’re useful and there for a reason.
Go to career fairs
These fairs can seem daunting at first but you should try and take advantage of them. It can be the perfect opportunity to get one foot in the door, meet people that could become mentors, and show them you’re really interested in their company.
Go to networking events
While these may seem forced, it can never hurt to put yourself out there. Knowing more people and making more connections can only ever help. You never know when you might need to use these connections in the future, so it really can only help.
Stay positive
Internship application season can be taxing. You might not get the position you wanted or you might spend forever waiting for a company to get back to you. It’s normal. Stay positive and stay optimistic and I promise it’ll all work out for the best in the end!