As we approach the end of the Spring semester, many college students are trying to find internships opportunities for this summer. It’s a great way to build up your resume as well as develop some work experience and maybe even make some money. Since many students struggle to find these internships, it’s important to have a plan before entering the search. Here are 9 tips to score your dream internship opportunity.
1. Research!
Research the companies you want to work for and look into their job opportunities. Read about their employees and the type of candidate they are looking for. This will help you narrow down your choices, and make sure the company is what you are looking for.
2. Experience
You will need some background knowledge of the type of work that your internship wants you to do. For example, if you want to work in a computer science company you should know how to code or at least know how the software works. These experiences can come from classrooms, learning things yourself, and even other past experiences from jobs or clubs. Make sure you take note of any knowledge or experiences you have to help with the application process.
3. Update your resume and cover letter
This is such an important tip since you don’t want any irrelevant high school experience or unimportant clubs on your resume. You want a few detailed things on your resume that highlight your abilities and goals. In continuation, it’s also important to have a different cover letter for each job since they all ask for different things. Building a basic template for these letters is good, but make sure you personalize them to the company you are applying to.
4. Have a mock interview
This will help you avoid nervousness during your real one. Look at the questions that the company you apply for usually asks. Practice these questions with a friend, an advisor, or even yourself to help construct your answers. You want to be as clear and concise as possible.
5. Network
Networking is such a huge part of internships and may help you land your dream opportunity. Use the resources around you like clubs, Greek Life, or the Alumni Association to make these valuable connections.
6. Be open to other positions.
Just because you are obsessed with one company, doesn’t mean you should limit yourself. You should still apply for other ones so you can get the feel of working in other fields.
7. Check your availability
Know when you are free and have time to work on internships. Don’t try to take a lot of time off unless it’s an emergency. It shows you are not interested in the work. If you are unable to commit to this, you may have to wait for next summer.
8. Ask follow-up questions during your interview
Some examples are, ‘what are some qualities you look for in employees?’ or ‘why did you choose to work here?’. Questions show that you are interested in the work of the company and want to learn more about it.
9. Write the company you interviewed with a thank you email
This shows how grateful you are for the opportunity and for the time they took to talk to you. It also shows confidence and that you understand how the process works.
Hopefully, these tips will help students get their dream internships in whatever field they want to be in. The internship hiring season can be intense but stay confident and everything will work out the way it should! Happy hunting!