We are so close…summer break is almost upon us! It’s time to trade in my book bag for a beach bag because its time to relax, right? But as much as I love lying out in the sun, watching reruns of the Office and doing absolutely nothing, after a few days of it, I start to get a little restless. How many tricks can Jim play on Dwight and has anyone ever noticed that Serena’s mouth has a weird twitch after she talks sometimes? That’s when I know I need to do something that involves using my brain cells. We’re collegiettestm, can you blame us for being bored?
Perhaps it’s time to get an internship. Aside from saving us from summer break boredom, it may be just what we need to save us from a similar fate post-graduation.
Employers want experience, and as accomplished as you feel being a member of the Anthill Pub’s “Quarter Club,” they want to know that you have had experience in a work environment and are willing and able to take instructions. So follow my lead in finding (and landing) the right internship for you.
1. Find out what you want: So you’re an economics major but you don’t know what to do with it. You’ve always been interested in film but your parents tell you it’s an unstable profession. Relax—It’s an internship, a time for you to test out what does and doesn’t work for you. If it turns out that your parents were right and film is not the right fit then fine, do your best while you are there and move forward. The worst case scenario is that you will be one step closer to finding out what you really want to do.
2. Start looking early. Summer is the most popular time to have an internship. Students don’t have to worry about school and the mountains of homework that comes with it, so many college students (and high school students) are on the lookout. Looking for one early on will help you beat out some of the competition and show that you are proactive and ready to work. Utilize Zotlink and Internqueen.com when searching for the perfect intership!
3. Polish up your resume. While babysitting and volunteering in leadership in high school are great, employers want to see something that’s more recent and applicable to the type of work that you will be doing. Try adding things that you have done in college as opposed to in High School, especially if you are a 3rd or 4th year. Also, I cannot tell you how invaluable the Career Center is! You may think that you know how to write a resume (I sure did) but the Career Center was made specifically to help you advance in your career goals, therefore they know a lot more about what employers are looking for than you do. Trust me. Schedule a meeting with a counselor and have them proofread your resume and cover letter before you send it out.
4. Personalize your cover letter: Make the effort to write one! Don’t write a cover letter where the only thing you change is the name of the business that it’s going out to. Employers are probably getting a million of cover letters that look more or less the same thanks to the template you found on Google. Make yourself stand out. It’s tedious, but it will pay off. Again, I recommend going to the Career Center so they can give you tips and advice.
5. Prepare for the interview: While there are not necessarily “right” and “wrong” answers there are good and bad ones. Keep in mind that the interviewer has an agenda in mind and is looking for specific aspects of your personality and abilities that will transfer to the position that you are applying for. So before you tell them that you are a die-hard Harry Potter fan when they ask you to tell them about yourself stop and think, they probably are not looking for someone to discuss the latest posting of Mugglenet with. Also, make sure to actually research the company—you can be certain that they will ask you something about them.
6. Relax and Be Confident: As Ugly Betty said, “You are a strong, confident, intelligent woman.” You can do it!