For many students, an internship is a necessary step toward graduation and getting your hands on that diploma. Even if it’s not required in your major, it’s still a valuable way to land a job after graduation. Before you can add “intern” to your resume, you have to actually go through the process of identifying and interviewing for a position. Just the idea of an internship search is enough to scare any student who hasn’t gone through the process before. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it still feels overwhelming. However, I’m here to share what I learned from my previous internship experience, so all you prospective interns out there will feel more prepared.
1. Start the process early.
It goes without saying that you’ll want to meet all application deadlines and have all the required documents ready to go ahead of time. However, that’s easier said than done when you’re a full-time student juggling classes, homework, and extracurriculars. The key to keeping your sanity during the internship search is to get started early. It’s worthwhile to start researching companies and finding internships the semester before you plan to do your internship. That way, you can have a solid idea of where you’d like to work, and you can begin saving company pages and printing job postings. About five months before you hope to start your internship, you should plan to begin sending your resume and applying online (provided that the company is accepting applications at that time). Sign up to receive notifications for internship postings, so you’re always updated.
2. Update and polish your resume and cover letter.
This goes along with starting the process early. As you begin searching for internships opportunities, you should also take some time to review your resume and cover letter. Make sure that all your relevant positions are included on your resume and that the formatting makes sense. And please, make sure there are no typos or other errors on your resume! It’s easy to overlook these mistakes, but make sure you triple-check everything. Try reading your resume backward, having a friend look it over, taking it to the Career Center, anything to make sure you catch those errors that go unnoticed by spellcheck. When it comes time to write your cover letter, make sure you’re tailoring it to each internship position. Don’t make the mistake of leaving the wrong company name on a cover letter, for example. Also, if the internship posting tells you to send your application materials to a specific person, personalize the salutation in your letter to that person. And don’t forget to check your LinkedIn page or set one up if you don’t have one!
3. Print job descriptions. To keep your sanity and to keep track of what you’re applying for, it’s useful to print out all the internship descriptions. That way, you can go back and review them later, in the event that the company closes them.
4. Practice your interviewing skills.
If you move far enough along in the process, you may be asked to interview for an internship! Now, this is both exciting and horribly nerve-wracking. I’m the kind of person who dreads interviews, but I’ve become more confident in my interviewing skills through a lot of practice. Try going online and looking up common interview questions. Make sure you’re prepared to answer these, as well as any questions related to your previous experience. That being said, you should make sure that you can elaborate on everything in your resume. An interview is a chance for the employer to go more in-depth with you, so be prepared for that. There are many ways you can sharpen your interview skills, whether it be with your parents, friends, or the Career Center (the one at Georgia College offers mock interview sessions!).
5. Send thank you notes.
Many prospective interns and employees neglect to send a thank you note or email after an interview. It shows courtesy and interest in the position. It also makes you stand out from those who don’t send a quick thank you. Try to send something to your interviewer the day of or the day after the interview.
6. Be open to different experiences.
This is really important to keep in mind as you think about where you might want to do your internship. You might be dead set on interning at one particular company or staying within the industry that most aligns with your major. I’m here to tell you that you should think outside the box when it comes to selecting an internship site. Have you always been interested in nonprofit work, but not sure you want to work at one after college? Are you worried that a particular internship doesn’t “fit” with your major? Try it out anyway! Getting outside your comfort zone during your internship will boost your confidence, help you gain new skills, and allow you to make professional connections.
Good luck with your internship search, Bobcats!