My advisor recently told me that employers don’t really care about your major, but they do care a lot about your internship experience. This scared the life out of me, so I spent this summer applying to hundreds of internships and jobs. After filling out all of those applications, editing countless cover letters and resumes, I finally got one! So, I thought I’d share everything I learned during the process.
Look Locally.
My dream is to work in publishing, which is an incredibly competitive field. As much as I hope to one day land an internship at Penguin Random House (which you should of course still apply for), I also recommend looking at local internship opportunities in a related field. The most luck I had in hearing back from people was from local organizations. I eventually landed an internship at a new non-profit in my area. Local connections can lead to connections to the larger opportunities you dream of!Â
Visit your nearest Career Center.
The Career Center is a great resource not only for job searches but also for application materials. You can make appointments for mock interviews, or to have your resume and cover letters reviewed. They also have a lot of great resources on their website, which are great for referencing when you can’t get there in person. You can also get signed up for Handshake through the Career Center. That’s how I found my internship!
Have an easily editable cover letter.
Most of my energy in applying to internships went toward editing my cover letters – even though I had an easily editable template. If I hadn’t used it, I would have applied to much fewer jobs, and it would have taken much longer. But, because I had my introduction and skill set already written, all I had to do was answer the application prompts in each cover letter.Â
Think outside the box.
Although my internship is not in my dream field, the experience and opportunity for resume building is what really matters. There are not a lot of publishing opportunities in my area, so looking at other related fields was just as important as looking in my top field. This is also a great opportunity to learn more about what you might actually want to make your career into. Â
Prepare for rejection… or being ghosted!
I applied for 100 internships, I received a rejection email from 4, and got one offer. Unfortunately, the entry level job market is a scary place – and doesn’t always prioritize communication. So just know it’s not you, it’s them. They’re receiving hundreds of applications, so I would also recommend applying to as many internships as you can.Â
Landing an internship was not easy and it took a lot of work, but it is possible! With some patience you’ll get an opportunity that is perfect for you!