Tips to Make Landing an Internship Not So Frightening

Where to Look for Internships

Career Wings: Most students think there’s not much to this site, but it is actually a pretty good resource. There are internships for just about every major or interest, from business to health care. It also includes a plethora of information about the positions listed such as the qualifications, job description and pay rate. Career Wings makes it easy by allowing students to submit their resume through a click of a button.

Department Websites: If your major requires an internship for graduation, chances are, there’s a department website listing the internship partners for the program you are in. This is a good resource to find internships, simply because the internship sites listed are usually familiar with UNF students. This means they will be willing to work around your course schedule and would provide you with learning experience relevant to your major.

Other resources outside of UNF that are good in finding internships include Indeed and LinkedIn.

Making Your Application Stand Out

The trick to applying to an internship, or any job for that matter is manipulating your resume and cover letter to suite what that job is looking for. Never submit a generic resume, especially if you’re applying for a position you desperately want. Think about it. Your resume and cover letter are the first impression you give to the employer and your chance to get your foot in the door. Make it a good one.

To do this, look at the requirements and job description of the position you are applying for, then edit your past experiences and skills to match up with what they are looking for in a candidate. For example, if they are looking for a leader, your best bet would be to showcase any leadership experience you’ve had. Do the same for your cover letter, instead using “power statements’ to describe what you’ve done and what you have to offer. Anyone can say they volunteered with the women’s center. Very few can say they brought awareness to issues concerning women on the campus of the University of North Florida. See the difference? Power statements like that are an easy way to make your cover letter stand out from the rest.

Acing the Interview

The first thing you want to do in preparing for the interview is research the company thoroughly so you’ll have a bit of background going in. This prepares you for any questions you may be asked about the company itself. You also want to prepare generic answers for typical interview questions. For example, questions like “why we should hire you” “what are your strengths” can be answered with the same statement.

The next thing you want to do is show up on time. And to be on time means you should arrive 10-15 minutes early. Always come dressed to impress by wearing business casual and be sure to have a copy of the resume and cover letter you submitted. After the interview, send a thank you letter either in the mail or via email. Doing this shows the person that you not only value their time, but are still interested in the position.

Following these tips are certain to land you an internship or position. Don’t let you nervousness scare you into not applying for your dream job or internship. The worse the employer can do to you is not give you a call back, or consider someone else for the position. While that may sound like the end of the world for some, remember that there are thousands of internships out there. Simply apply for the next one!