As summer is quickly approaching and everyone is wanting to know your summer plans, you might be panicking if you haven’t figured it out yet. Confused about how to land an internship? There are a number of helpful resources on campus and online to help you figure out your plans!
The Office of Personal and Career Development
The office, located on the third floor of Reynolda, can help students with nearly anything- job or internship related. Walk-in hours are held every Monday through Thursday so you can pop in and have your resume and cover letters thoroughly reviewed. In addition, the office offers numerous interest and aptitude tests, as well as mock interviews.
If you have not set up your Linkedin account, it’s probably time to do so. The website is an essential way to network. There is a special group that is just for current Wake students and alumni. Be careful, though, this isn’t Facebook! Make sure your profile is professional, and proofread before you make it public!
Informational Interviews
These are interviews with a professional in a field of which you might be interested. As they aren’t job interviews, they tend to be a lot less stressful or nerve-wracking. Make sure you have a list of questions; not just about the position, but also how they got there, and what advice they may have for you. Informational interviews are a great way to network while learning true information about the jobs or companies you are interested in.
Research in the Field
Most companies will have a “Careers” section on their websites, which will let you know about openings at that company. Just remember, not all jobs and internships are posted. However, exploring their website will be helpful later on – you want to try to mention something about the company in your cover letter. If you land an interview, usually interviewers are impressed if they can tell that you did your homework.
Job Boards
Although it might not seem legitimate, you can find actual internships on job boards. Many sites such as experience.com, internships.com, and idealist.org provide a multitude of listings. These tend to be opportunities from both big-name companies and small independent companies.Heidi Gall
*Article by Heidi Gall
*Cover image from collegecandy.com