Every year thousands of high school students apply to Syracuse University. Besides the rumors of great parties and good academics, students are also seeking something that might be even more important — an opportunity to find a good internship. Internships not only provide you with an understanding of what your specific field of study will be like, but also allows you to get a backstage pass and see what a company is all about.
As a freshman, I had no clue what a resume should look like or how I would even begin one. Your college will determine which career services department you use. The main website (http://careerservices.syr.
The first thing to understand is how to build a good resume. Certain industries expect certain types of resumes. A communications resume will look completely different from a business one (trust me, I tried to format mine like my friend’s in Whitman and once I went to Newhouse they told me it was wrong!). The basics of writing a resume can be found here: http://careerservices.syr.
Just remember that when writing a resume, add as many numbers as possible. For example if I mentioned that I wrote for The Daily Orange I could write something like: Wrote four articles for the news section. This gives a company a good idea of not only what experience you have but how much of it you have. As a freshman it is okay to put high school activities on your resume seeing as how you are just beginning this process. But, by sophomore and junior year you should have only college-related items. It’s also important to keep everything to one page. Change the margins, mess with the fonts or take out unnecessary information. Companies are looking at hundreds, maybe thousands of these and they don’t want to nor have the time to read more then one page. Your cover letter and interview is what will impress them.
Cover letters, another crucial part of the internship application process, can be a much bigger challenge. As stated earlier, remember to keep this at one page. Also, when you address the letter, do not address to a company but rather an individual. You can also mention the individual company in a cover letter and any important details that you know that could customize the letter. For basic cover letter writing tips go here (http://careerservices.syr.
When it comes to finding where you want to intern, this website run through SU alum and the career center can be very beneficial (https://syr-csm.symplicity.
Along with editing and the SU search, career services can also help students with networking. At the career center counselors can look up alum or individuals who work in your area, graduated from your school or work at a company at which you would like to intern. They can provide you with e-mail addresses and you can e-mail this individual explaining that you’re from SU and are looking for an internship. Never ask if this person can get you an internship. Simply ask if they have any advice. This is actually how I found my internship! I am currently an intern at Philadelphia Magazine and a Newhouse alum is a contributing writer here. Newhouse provided me with his e-mail, I asked for advice and he ended up e-mailing the coordinator of interns. It’s a small world after all!
Factors that you should always remember when applying for an internship: always call or e-mail to follow up, literally every week. Companies are busy and sometimes interns are the last thing on their mind. Sure, the concept is scary but it shows that you are highly interested in the job and are more likely to get the internship. Second, always be professional and thank people — they will remember this. Third, try to set up as many in- person interviews as possible. This way you can have a longer time explaining your interests and skills. Also make sure you are knowledgeable of the company and have prepared for the interview. Always dress in a professional manner.
By keeping these facts in mind you will be able to score an amazing internship, build your resume and hopefully get a job after graduation!