‘Tis the season of internship seeking. Unfortunately, it is not one of joy and celebration.
Searching for an internship can be an extremely stressful, and seem like a never-ending process. But at the same time, it’s so important to tackle it with as much energy, discipline, and dedication as you would a 5-unit class for your major. As summer approaches, it may seem unlikely to landing an internship so late in the game, but don’t fret just yet — I guarantee you that following the 5 tips below will greatly maximize your chances of landing a rewarding internship for the summer.
First of all, What are Stanford’s Resources?
Check out Stanford’s Career Development Center if you haven’t already. Registering with the CDC is crucial in ensuring that you are being informed about all of the opportunities available, both on and off campus.
To begin with, it will give you access to thousands of internship and job opportunities through listings posted by companies for Stanford (http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/cdc/jobs-internships). You can even specify your areas of interest, and it will send you updates and new internship listings to keep you up to date.
In addition to being a great internship database, it gives you plenty of tips on how to act during an internship interview, how to find the internship that best suits you, and how to improve your resume.
1) Connect:
Let’s face it, if you are a freshman or sophomore, the chances of landing your dream internship are pretty slim- not only because of a lack of internship and job experience, but also because companies prefer hiring juniors who may potentially work for them upon graduation the following summer. So, what to do? Use connections. It’s nothing to be ashamed of- if you have them, why not use them? Opening your opportunities up to those offered through connections will inevitably expand your options and practically guarantee you an internship, so don’t be afraid to ask your parents or close friends if they have connections in certain areas of interest.If they don’t, then seriously consider options that are outside of immediate areas of interest. At the end of the day, it is the fact of having had experience that is fundamental, not necessarily in which fields this experience was in. Having a more diverse range of experience on your resume may even be to your benefit when evaluated by prospective recruiters, who will compare it against more predictable, mundane resumes.
2) Take initiative:
An internship is not going to fall on your lap. Sure, we all know that one friend of ours that got personally contacted by Apple or Facebook, but banking on that happening to you is going to get you nowhere. So take initiative: go on the CDC and take note of all of the upcoming career fairs, look out for e-mails by SWIB or other campus organizations with info session and round-table opportunities. Going to career fairs and round-tables with recruiters or people in the business will not only give you a much more realistic idea of what the internship has to offer and what is expected of potential interns, but it will also help you network with people in companies of interest. When a recruiter gives you a business card or e-mail address, do not hesitate to follow up almost immediately. Creating and maintaining those connections will be crucial in helping your name stand out against the hundreds of other applicants for your internship position of interest.
3) Be Open-Minded
It’s not just because everyone around you seems to be looking for an internship in banking, that it’s the right thing for you. Explore your options. The CDC has great opportunities, but finding internship opportunities on other internship databases on the web will open up an entire pool of new, different potential positions to consider.
Cutting your internship options down to solely paid internships greatly reduces your pool of options, so try to avoid being selective if possible — consider unpaid internships. Sure, it’s not the best when on a budget, but unpaid internships are equally, if not more, intellectually rewarding and educational than paid internships.
Consider volunteer opportunities. Volunteering at an organization of interest is guaranteed to be a fulfilling and rewarding experience at the end of the day. It should not be put aside for fear of it not being conventional or structured enough to look good on a resume. Many times, students with volunteer experience in an organization that they are truly passionate about show passion and dedication, help him/her stand out against other candidates.
4) Master your Resume
Your resume is the single most important representation of you when recruiters evaluate you against a pool of hundreds of other similarly capable applicants. That, in itself, should be an indicator of just how important it is for your application to be perf
ect. Thus, it is absolutely crucial to seriously consider what does and does not belong on your resume — in terms of highlighting certain experiences and accomplishments of yours, and omitting others. It is a difficult process, because many of your experiences will have to be completely erased. Keeping your resume short, concise and relevant is key to maximizing your chances of landing that internship. If you are having trouble with your resume, or want to get it reviewed by a specialist, the CDC offers appointments with their staff to go over and correct your resume. A quick tip: your resume should never be longer than one page, making your selection of skills and experiences that much more important.
5) Ready, Set, Go!
Don’t wait, don’t procrastinate: register on the CDC, go to career fairs and connect with people you know. Explore all of your options. You don’t want to miss the deadline for any upcoming internships that may have been of interest to you. In addition, some internships are considered on a rolling basis, so getting yours in soon may greatly increase your chances of landing it!