I don’t have many skills or talents but if there is one thing I am good at…it is getting jobs! I have done a billion internships, summer jobs, work placements, you name it, I’ve done it. I get hired left, right and centre by just knowing the right tricks on how to wow people. A lot of people ask me how I get all these far-reaching jobs, but the majority of the time people want an internship but aren’t willing to put the work in to get one, or don’t have the confidence to email someone about a job enquiry. You need to get over yourself if you want to be successful. You can’t look back in five years and wonder why. You don’t need to depend on your contacts or college anymore, you can do it on your own with these three top tips. So, there are no excuses anymore, put your head down and get on it. I promise you, you won’t regret it, so keep reading:
- Get a LinkedIn! I know LinkedIn sounds like a boring website for old, business people, but trust me, you need to put yourself out there and get known by people in your chosen field. Firstly, get a professional photo taken of yourself, and upload it to your LinkedIn website. People will be convinced you are professional if they see you have put a lot of effort into your LinkedIn. Secondly, add as many experiences and positions to your profile as possible, even if you worked as a cashier at a corner shop, add it in as an experience. As pathetic as you think a job might sound…to a future employer it shows ambition and drive as you were willing to do part-time jobs to earn a bit of cash during college. Thirdly, try and be as active as you can, by re-sharing content you are interested in and liking and commenting on other people’s posts. Lastly, connect with as many people as you can, friends, and family members, and even try to connect with people who work in a company you want to work for. Try and gain as many connections as you can.
- Don’t email @info emails. If you are emailing lots of different companies by using their @info emails listed on their websites, don’t be surprised if you get no responses. Those email addresses are never used, your email will most likely go to spam, which you don’t want. As daunting as it may sound, call the company and ask if they offer internships or if they are hiring. Most people on the phone are nice and will know you are a college student and will want to help you out and will give you the information you need. They may not offer internships or they may not be hiring but at least you will know and you won’t be wasting your time refreshing your email ‘on the daily’.
- Create an incredible curriculum vitae and cover letter. Word Docs have great layouts that you can use and edit your information into. Make sure each of these documents is catered towards the needs of the company you are applying for. Companies don’t want a copy-and-paste version that you have been sending to hundreds of employers, they want it to be personalised. Tell them how you would contribute to the company, what you know about the company and why you would like to work there so they know you ACTUALLY want to work there and you aren’t just looking for any high-paying job.
I hope that you get the internship of your dreams this summer, best of luck!