5 Tips for Internship Hunting

Internships are daunting. There are about a billion out there and they vary from paid to unpaid, full time to part time, experience intensive to administration intensive. There are so many questions to ask when searching the internet for the right position for you, but here are a few tips for you before you go about the process to make it go a bit smoother and hopefully help you land the perfect experience for you!

1. Figure out if you have connections

At Northwestern especially, grads are extremely willing to help out an undergrad that is looking for a position. Not only do they have purple pride, but they also remember what it is like to be struggling like a fish on land for an internship. Get in contact with professors you might have a relationship with or a graduate you know on Facebook.

Also, think outside our Northwestern home. You parents, friends and family members know far more people than you may realize. You never know your friend’s mom’s college roommate casually mentioned that they need an intern unless you ask. Being forward can be awkward, but in the end it’s a valued quality in a potential hire. Go get ‘em, girl.

2. Perfect your resume

In the world of jobs, your resume is the window to the soul. They don’t care about anything else except your resume. You have (preferably) one page to make them want you more than any other person. Make sure you spend time putting everything great that you’ve done onto paper, and pass it around to a couple people to take a peek at for you. Your parents probably have a running record of all the great things you’ve done in your life (your success is theirs also, after all) and they’ve done resumes before, so I would suggest them above anybody else to look at it if only one person can.

3. Consider jobs outside of your designated career path

Just because a job isn’t exactly the one you might want or the title you are looking for doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. An internship isn’t about the title like a future job might be, it’s much more about the skills you acquire while you are there. If you think you can gain valuable experience or insight by working in a job in a different industry or alternative position, take it. You can express to future employers what you learned in that internship so it will work out.

4. Don’t settle if you don’t have to

If you get an offer to your back up internship, sometimes you may need to sit on it. Instinct tells us that yes, it is possible that we won’t get the other positions we applied for, but do you really want to risk not being able to take the perfect fit position because you took the backup offer in a moment of panic? I say no. Of course that’s an individual decision and may involve questions of paid vs. unpaid, location, timing, etc.  but don’t sell yourself short in your decision making.

5. Apply to everything!

The more options you give yourself, the more options you will have in the end. Don’t avoid applying to something because you are afraid you won’t get it. If you at least try, you can’t go wrong. The worst you’ll hear is no, the best could open a door to a future you’ll love!