How to Land Your Dream Internship

With internship season in full rise, it is important to take a step back and see what you can do in order to land your dream internship. All internships can be your dream internship if you are doing something you love and are passionate about.  But in order to even get to the interview stage, there are some important steps you must take:

1. Hard work and dedication are the first step to getting your internship. You can’t kind of want it, you need to want it with everything you got. You need to sit down and apply with the mindset that you are going to get it. If you go into something with the intentions of succeeding, this mentality with actually boost your confidence, even if it is just faking it until you make it!  
2. Something that has dramatically helped me in continuing my career journey is using the resources at the Career Center. Not only will they check your resume and cover letters, but they can help you with interviews, networking events, and so much more. I practically live in the Career Center because they constantly have new opportunities every day for students.   
3. It is okay to not have a million things on your resume. You don’t need to be in every organization on campus. Internships are meant for you to show your willingness to learn and try new things. They want to see your passion because it shows them how you care. It is better to have an E-board position in one organization that you love than to spread yourself thin in several things, without making any large contribution.   
4. Networking, networking, networking. Often times you hear the statement, “It is not what you know, but who you know.” While this might sound rough, it is true. It never hurts to ask for help from someone who is doing something that interests you. You never know how you might make connections, so always make sure you are always respectful to others. Also, let LinkedIn become your new best friend!  
5. Be open to ideas. This is something I struggled with in the beginning of my internship journey. We all have these strict ideas of what kind of internship we want or which specific company, but sometimes change is okay. Just because the internship does not relate to exactly what you want or you’ve never heard of the organization doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial. You might even find out another thing you love! Try it and see what it holds.  
6. Lastly: Be yourself!  It is hard to see the amazing collegiate you truly are on a piece of paper.  A good method to explaining yourself or getting your personality out there is through the words on your cover letter. And if that goes smoothly, then you are on the right path for your interview! The process is often long and stressful, but getting accepted makes it all worth it. Everyone has great opportunities coming their way as long as they keep on pushing. 

• advice
• internships
• Madison Storcella
• tcnj