As soon as finals are over and you put your books down, don’t be fooled that you can finally relax. Many companies or programs, especially those looking for spring interns, and some looking for summer interns, have deadlines in late December or early January. Therefore, if you haven’t started your application process, I recommend you do so ASAP. Here are five tips to help lead you through the internship seeking process:
1. Polish your résumé.
A sample résumé.
Your résumé is the first impression that a potential employer gets of you, so you want to make sure it showcases you in the best possible light. A résumé should include your contact information, education, professional experience, and other activities you are involved in.
Make sure that when you list your jobs or organizations, you also provide a brief description of what that task entailed. Remember, you are trying to demonstrate to potential employers that you have a wide range of skills. Even if one of your previous jobs doesn’t directly relate to the job you are applying for now, you can always think of skills that you have learned from that previous job that will be needed in this job. For example, if you worked as a guidance counselor for a kids’ summer camp but are applying for a marketing internship, you can say that your counselor job has taught you how to be patient, how to work well with others, and how to be organized.
Try to include as much information as you can while still sticking to a page so that the potential employer will think highly of you. Include a clear list of languages, technical skills, or awards you have won to fully establish your credibility.
Some great resources for how to write a résumé can be found on Google. For example, Purdue University outlines a résumé workshop and WikiHow takes you step by step through the process with sample résumés. Make sure to stop by the Boston College Career Center and check out their website for tips on writing a résumé.
2. Create a strong cover letter.
A cover letter goes beyond your résumé. You get to write a statement that further demonstrates your capabilities and why you are qualified for the job. Additionally, you want to show that you are a good and likeable person with whom your potential employer would like to work.
Make sure to address the appropriate person to whom the application will be sent. Follow up with a paragraph explaining which internship you will apply for and how you found it. The body of your letter should expand on your résumé – highlight your skills, include any explanations you need to, and persuade the potential employer that you are their perfect match. Explain why you want to work for this company, and conclude with how the person can contact you for a follow up.
Try to write a cover letter that is pretty standard and can fit most of your job applications. That way, you will only need to tweak it slightly when you personalize it for each company.
WikiHow discusses how to write a great cover letter along with a variety of examples, as does this article from Forbes.
3. Apply for EVERYTHING.
A screenshot of what EagleLink could look like if you search for marketing jobs.
This might be a slight exaggeration, but it is definitely better to apply for more internships rather than less. You can always reject an internship if you get multiple offers, but it’ll be much harder to scramble and find an internship last minute.
The first site you should bookmark in your browser and visit very often is EagleLink. EagleLink provides listings for many fields and types of jobs all across the country. You can search the fields you are interested in, locations, or companies. EagleLink also makes it very easy for you to upload your résumé and cover letters and then apply with a simple click of a button.
Additionally, Googling the type of internship you want or companies you are interested in will get you a huge amount of results. The key is to not give up if you don’t see the internship you want right away; keep searching and digging deeper on the internet and you will find something that is perfect for you.
Keep a list of the companies or specific internships you are interested in or applying for. Set yourself a goal of applying to one internship a day or a certain amount of internships per week.
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4. Attend career/ internship fairs.
A photo from one of BC’s career fairs.
BC does a great job with hosting career fairs throughout the academic school year. The next internship fair will be held on January 21 and 22, 2014. Check out EagleLink for more details about the fair and which companies will be present. Recruiters set up information about their companies and internships at tables lined up in a large space. At the 2014 internship fair, BC will have 45 participating companies. You have a chance to walk around and find companies or internships you may be interested in.
Career fairs provide you with an opportunity to speak to recruiters from companies you want to apply to. You can hand them your résumé or find out more about the internships they are offering. By meeting you, the recruiters can put a personal face to the paper résumé they are receiving from you.
If you don’t know what you may be interested in, the internship fair is great for exploring your options. You can pick up information regarding applications and see if any of the companies there match what you want.
5. Be prepared for your interview.
Don’t be nervous for your interview! Smile and be pleasant.
Given the hard work you’ve put into your application process, you are bound to receive interview opportunities. Before the interview, make sure you do your research about the company and internship position so that your potential employer knows you did your homework. Come up with a list of questions you have for your potential employer; if he or she asks you if you have questions and you say no, you seem disinterested in their company. Also, you should practice speaking about yourself and expanding on your résumé and cover letter. Some questions you may be asked are “tell me more about yourself” or “why do you want this job.”
The day of the interview, dress professionally and arrive to your interview early. Even if the company is more casual, you should dress for the dream job you ultimately want, not necessarily the one you are applying for today. Be courteous and smile – you want to seem like a good person who will fit into the work environment. Whenever answering the interviewer’s questions, be concise but truly answer the question. Remember, for an internship position, you want to emphasize what this company can do for you professionally. For a job, you want to focus on what you can do for the company.
After the interview, send your interviewer a thank you email. If they do not get back to you in the time they promised, follow up with an email asking about the status of your application.
Once again, WikiHow describes in great detail how to prepare for and act during an interview.
Overall, applying for an internship can take up a lot of time and energy. However, once you finally get accepted to the internship program you want, you will realize that it was well worth it!
Photo Sources:
1. https://iccweb.ucdavis.edu/hbs/imgs/24.jpg
3. https://bc-csm.symplicity.com/students/
5. http://blog.smartbear.com/wp-content/uploads/imports/bad_interview_questions.jpg