A big reason I decided to attend Pace University was to take advantage of their networking pool and gain the practical skills that could make me the best candidate for any post-grad plan. However, now that I’m a student here and it’s time for me to actually put in the work to achieve this, it’s a lot more daunting than I thought. Luckily, I’ve realized that others share the same intimidation towards internship hunting, so I figured, why not share some tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way?
First and foremost, before you even begin the application process, dedicate some time to tweaking your resume and cover letter. Gathering all of the materials that you need beforehand will make applying so much more efficient. If you need some guidance with formatting or solidifying the content of your resume, definitely take advantage of the career counselors at Pace. It’s a free service and they will happily help you correct your resume in as many sessions as you need, furthermore, they can approve your materials and give you access to Handshake which has a lot of unique job/internship opportunities that are based on the university’s connections. In terms of the cover letter, it’s pretty much a more extensive and narrative description of some main points on your resume. I feel like many people don’t prioritize this but customizing your cover letter based on the different types of positions you’re applying to could change your application from feeling generic and broad, to personalized and competitive.
Now that the foundation of your application is set, it’s time to start applying. Seeing as we’re college students with no degree and most of us have minimal experience in our interested field, try not to be too picky. Identify a couple of elements that are extremely important to you, such as the location, paid/unpaid, the length of the program, etc., and then apply, apply, apply, to as many as you can. You’d be surprised with the number of positions you are actually qualified for, so don’t underestimate your abilities and skills.
Lastly, I want to mention media, like in every other aspect of life, social media plays an important role in the hiring process, specifically LinkedIn. Many employers will ask for your LinkedIn profile when applying, so it’s always a good idea to make sure that it is updated with your latest accomplishments and skills. Not to mention, it’s a great tool for networking and contacting specific professionals to get your foot in the door.
Overall, getting an internship is a numbers game – the more you apply to, the better chances you have of getting interviews and offers. It may be discouraging to find that many don’t even answer back, but know that it is completely normal, especially in an undergrad application pool. That being said, celebrate all the small victors, every phone call, in-person interview, application submitted, everything! It’ll remind you of all of the progress that you’re making and of all your hard work. I wish you all the best of luck with your application process!