Spring Break for GCSU students is coming to a close. It’s a sad time for all. But, it doesn’t have to be, because the future awaits! Yes, I know, I’m quoting a cliché that says that whatever lies ahead will be pretty spectacular. But you know what, it could be. After #SB14, instead of wallowing in the upcoming school assignments, open a couple tabs and look up some internships. It’s not hard, promise.
1. Write/Update a Resume
First step to applying for an internship is having a resume ready to go. This may sound stressful, but it’s not. Really, it’s a chance to write about your life experiences, to show the world that you’re not just some GCSU student, but a GCSU student who’s going somewhere. Even if all your work experience is a brief stint at Taco Bell in high school, put it on there, because any experience is experience. You may be afraid that it’s not good enough, or that you really don’t have anything to put on your resume, but fear not, because most anything that highlights your strengths is acceptable to put on there. Even if you’ve never worked a day in your life, I’m sure you’ve done something that’s worthy of putting down. Perhaps you babysit or volunteer! That’s something!
2. Join LinkedIn
In this day and age, the internet is our oyster. It’s there for us to use and take advantage of. It’s a nifty tool that gives us the capacity to make it our own. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s very helpful in finding what we need. There’s this website called LinkedIn. Basically, it’s a social network for adults, connecting those with careers to others who have careers themselves or are looking. It’s a great means to connect to businesspeople, to get names and email addresses, and to perhaps land an internship. The more people you meet, the better chance you have at landing a great opportunity. So don’t miss your chance!
3. Talk to Your School
Most schools want you to succeed (I haven’t known one yet that doesn’t), so they’re prepared to help you in any way they can. For real. Every school has a Career Center, and every school is just waiting for you to enter their office so they can hook you up. I should know, since I joined the Career Center at my school, and it was very beneficial. Not only do they have seminars you can attend that prepare you for life after college, but they offer resume workshops and have a career fair every semester. They also give you info on how to connect to their website. Their site is very helpful, for it allows you to search for internships that fit your specified needs. Go visit the Career Center today. What have you got to lose?
4. Find Opportunities
This seems like a given, but some people really don’t know what the next step is in looking for an internship. People get overwhelmed by all the website options, and I get that, because it is overwhelming. However, there doesn’t have to be all this stress associated with internship hunting. Simply get on the various websites (internship.com, the Career Center site, etc.) and search, search, search. Narrow down your options, if possible, with the Advanced Search option. Once narrowed down to fit your needs, star or make a list of the internships that appeal to you, or that fit in with your criteria. You’ll have a list of possible internship opportunities in no time.
5. Apply
The last step to applying for an internship is the most obvious: apply. You already have your resume ready, your LinkedIn account, and your internship websites. Now you just have to put it all together. Since you should already have a list of possible opportunities, apply like the wind. Submit your resume to every one, and if they ask for a website, even better, because you have a LinkedIn account you can give them. That’s what it’s there for. Once you’ve finished applying, take a breather, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. That wasn’t so hard after all. And hey, you may get a cool internship out of it.