Looking For A College Internship: Dont Make These 7 Mistakes
For more tips on how to land an internship on college, check out
Talk To College Classmates And Peers
Next, talk to your friends/peers who have secured internships and ask how they did it. This will give you more information and leads that you can follow in your search for internships.
They can tell you about which tactics worked best for them, which websites they used, etc. They may even tell you that the employer theyre going to intern for has more spots open.
Where To Look For Finding Internships Abroad
Getting into a top-notch company is not a tough task in todays world. There are many opportunities around, for the students to make a career in the international companies. Irrespective to the discipline, every industry is now, encouraging the young minds to join the board.
From MNC to SME, every company is opening their doors for the young and talented aspirants who can work with the team and provide an output which isnt discovered by the company yet. Although, please be advised that SMEs might not have the resources to hire foreign interns unless you have a unique and niche profile.
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Prepare Your Application Materials
No matter what job you apply to, there are a few key materials youre going to want to have on hand. Here are the most common ones, and how to perfect them before you apply.
Resume
Resumes are brief documents that showcase your skills, education and professional background. Typically, resumes will contain your name and contact info, education, professional summary, work experience, skills and additional experience. If youve never written a resume before, using a template can be helpful.
Some tips to keep in mind as you write your resume:
- Use the STAR format situation, task, action and result in your work experience bullet points
- Quantify your impact whenever possible
- List your key wins and accomplishments, not just your day-to-day tasks
- Emphasize skills & responsibilities found in the job description
- Keep it clean, concise & easy-to-read
Cover Letter
Cover letters add additional color and context to your application. Its important to note, though, that cover letters shouldnt just list whats on your resume they should persuade whoever is reading the letter that you are uniquely right for the job. While not always mandatory, cover letters are almost always a good idea. They show that you are passionate about the opportunity, and provide a more well-rounded picture of who you are as a candidate.
Some tips to keep in mind as you write your cover letter:
Social Media Profiles
A few best practices to follow as you polish your social media presence:
Online Portfolio
How To Find Internships In High School
Internships are often the first-time many students experience the professional world. Entering this period of career exploration can be incredibly exciting, but the path to get there can be dauntingespecially when viewed through naive eyes. The internship process may be your first time putting together a resume. Translating your interests into real opportunities may not be intuitive and learning how to operate in the workplace can feel a little like decoding a new and unfamiliar language.
But, remember, that discomfort and nervousness is normal. And the internship search doesnt have to be intimidating. To help, were going to break down everything from networking to interviewing, and get you set up for success. Theres an abundance of challenging and exciting internships out there, you just need the right tools and resources to sort through them.
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Create A Budget For Your Internship
Not all internships come with compensation. 40% of internships dont offer a salary, and if your target company is one of them, its time to think about how you will make a living while gaining the experience. If thats a summer internship, you might want to find a part-time job as a waiter, cashier or a freelance writer. Maybe, your parents can afford to support you financially for a few months until you find paid employment.
Calculate the expenses before landing an internship and decide whether you have the money it takes. If you dont, youll have to eliminate the unpaid internship options and focus on paid ones only. Or, you might decide to eliminate the internship stage and look for entry-level jobs straightaway. This road is tougher, but if youve gained some experience through the extracurricular activities and volunteering, its manageable.
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Know And Use The Product
When applying for internships, always research the product or company. Know it inside and out, including what they offer and their mission statements. Use this deep knowledge to customize your resume and tailor your cover letter to show why you are the best fit for this company, specifically. In your cover letter, make sure to highlight how you fit with this company, and how the company fits in with your career goals. See yourself as part of the companys big picture.
Bonus Tip: When crafting your application and writing a cover letter, try to think of out-of-the box ways to make your application stand out. For example, deliver your application in person to the office. Here is a great video on more ways to stand out during the application process:
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Don’t Settle For Typical Internships
When your child is figuring out how to find an internship in college, they might find that the internships within their field of study are highly competitive. For example, if your child is a journalism major and internships with notable magazines and newspapers are flooded with applicants, they can still get valuable writing experience by interning with a small business or corporation. There they might write the company’s newsletters and update the company’s blog and social media channels. Brainstorming this way about how their major can be applied to other industries or fields can open up internship opportunities.
The point is for your child not to feel limited by the typical internships in any major. When your child aligns their internship with different industries, they can discover new career fields to potentially pursue after graduation, as well as strengthen other skills.
Utilize Paid Internship Search Tools
Outside of these great options, there are a host of other ways to search for internships online. Give these websites a try:
- Chegg Internships Over 100,000 jobs are listed monthly.
- WayUp Listings from over 30,000 companies.
- YouTern A tool to find internships through social media platforms.
With these tools at your fingertips, youre bound to find an exciting paid internship that gives you the experience you need to launch your career.
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Dont Be Afraid To Follow Up
As all busy professionals know, youre far more likely to not answer an email because it got buried in your inbox than because you dont want to answer it. Recognizing this, your child shouldnt be afraid to send a quick follow-up reply to their original email if a couple weeks have passed without a response.
Most likely, the person they emailed will appreciate a reminder of something theyve been meaning to do but had to put off due to more urgent matters.
Places To Begin The Internship Search
| RESOURCE | |
| Idealist | Idealist lists jobs, internships, and even volunteer opportunities available in the nonprofit sector. This site can serve as a starting point for students interested in working in industries that create positive change. |
Listings are posted all the time, so be sure to regularly check your sources for up-to-date information. When searching, it always pays to keep your timeline in mind, as many places begin hiring months in advance.
Summer internships, for example, are often posted around November and have deadlines in the early winter, even if the start date is in May or June. Beginning the search early will give you a leg up on the competition and prevent a last-minute rush to get your materials turned in on time.
Organization will be essential here. Trying to juggle internship listings, applications, and deadlines can get confusing, so create a virtual spreadsheet or calendar to keep on time. Many businesses expect employees to have basic familiarity with technology anyway, so it never hurts to brush up on your digital proficiency.
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Display The Right Attitude
When talking to a hiring manager on the phone or answering the interview questions, its important to show the right attitude. Employers want to see your enthusiasm and willingness to learn from others on the go, so be sure to highlight these traits. Also, the interns in the company are often assigned a wide range of tasks, from making cold calls to fetching coffee for everyone in the office. Show that you are flexible and ready to perform a wide range of tasks as assigned.
Also, it will do you a lot of good to learn the basics of work etiquette. Respond to calls and emails on time and in professional manner, be grateful for recommendations, and focus on bringing value to the potential employer. These tiny details add up to an overall impression about you, and can strengthen the positive impression youre trying to make.
How To Ace The Application Process
Once you find the perfect internship opportunity to tackle, its time to get ready for the second stage of the process: applying.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to leave an impression on employers, but what this looks like varies according to every person. My strengths will not be the same as your strengths and vice versa. When considering each of the following components, be mindful about highlighting your own qualities, dreams, and motivations. Heres how:
- Volunteer experiences
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Talk To Your College Professors
Your professors often have industry connections and know employers that offer opportunities to intern in the summer.
Theyre paid by the university to help you, so dont be shy about asking for leads on paid or unpaid internships.
Visit your professors during office hours and ask if they have any connections that could help you obtain an internship, or if they know of any internships themselves.
Its best if you walk in prepared to ask about a specific type of internship , or at least have some idea of what field would interest you. Dont just ask for an internship without any type of specific guidelines.
And Why Its Worth The Effort
Many college students and recent graduates work as interns. That means they take a temporary job to get hands-on experience, usually in a field theyre interested in. College graduates sometimes use internships to start a career. But did you know that you can get a summer or after-school internship while youre still in high school?
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Meet With A Career Counselor
Most colleges and universities have dedicated support for helping students and graduates find jobs and internships. Oftentimes, these resources come in the form of a career center or dedicated career counselor for different majors. You can leverage your career center or career counselor to prepare your resume, practice interviewing for roles, and find out about relevant internship opportunities.
Local Internships: How To Find Internships Near You
One question I get asked a lot as a recruiter is, How can I find internships near me? I only want to hear about internships in my local area.
If youre interested only in internships near you, you can use all of the methods above, but should focus on networking and talking to people at your university first and foremost. Your local network, university career center, and professors will be more in-tune with the local market.
Many online internship search websites will have filters for location, too. So spend time looking for internships opportunities on the web, but start with a local, networking-focused approach when looking for an internship in your city or local area.
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Inspire Yourself For A Job Search
Theres no better way to learn and inspire yourself than with a good podcast! Whether youre stuck in a traffic, waiting in line or go for a walk you can learn new job hunting tips and tricks in your headphones. Find a Job Like a Pro! covers everything from the length of the resume, job interview outfit tips to phone interview etiquette and more.
Why Its Important To Get Internships
No matter where youre at in school, internships provide meaningful opportunities for growth. They offer you the chance to take everything that youre learning in school and apply it to the real world. And, as youll learn, the professional world allows you to explore your passions. Whether youre interested in writing or programming, youll have the chance to practice your skills and get feedback from your coworkers.
Some schoolslike XQs Summit Shasta and Washington Leadership Academy include internships as part of their curriculum. This approach to learning helps students network while theyre still in high school, explore different career paths, and get hands-on experience. Plus, some internships are paid or can lead to full-time jobs.
If youre interested in a particular career field like journalism or business, for instance, this is your chance to get on the ground with people who actually do it for a living. Before committing to a profession, its good to get a sense of whether it truly fits with your personality, goals, and skillset. Partnerships between high school students and employers are also proven to strengthen essential bonds and improve the community as a whole.
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Use Your Professional Network
Networking can help you more effectively find opportunities. The people in your network may know of internships not publicly listed or those not listed yet. If you have contacts in the industries youre applying for, consider contacting them and asking if they know of available opportunities. Consider asking professors, academic advisors or your fellow classmates for more places to search for summer internships.
You can also use your professional network to collect letters of recommendation that can add more value to your application. Some internship applications may even require letters of recommendation. Consider asking someone who can endorse your skills, goals and qualifications to write a recommendation that you can submit along with your other application materials.
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Quick Tips On Finding The Right Internships Abroad
1. If youre interested in politics, international relations, diplomacy, or international development, explore the countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
2. Fashion and design students should consider interning in major European design capitals such as Milan, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, and Copenhagen.
3. For opportunities within the hospitality & tourism industry, explore resorts, hostels or hotels, and as guides or administrative staff in tour companies in Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, Milan, and Berlin, among other cities. You could also check out hostels, hotels, restaurants, cafés, and tour companies in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.
4. Interns interested in humanitarian work, NGOs, community development, health and welfare, education, and small business development will find a great number of opportunities in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ghana.
5. If you are interested in environmental, marine, and wildlife conservation, and eco-tourism, look for internships in Seychelles, Madagascar, and South Africa. Interns who are adventurers & outdoor enthusiasts, you can also find opportunities in countries such as Brazil, Chile, & Peru in South America, and Australia, New Zealand, and islands such as Fiji in Oceania. majority of these internships are seasonal in nature.
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Maintain The Balance In Life With Professional Essay Help
When the internship keeps you busy, its hard to find time to compose analytical essays, research papers and presentations. If you need help with any of these paper types, a reliable helper from our team will prepare them according to your instructions and professors expectations. The writer will work on the paper until you are fully satisfied.
By the way, our professionals can assist you with resume writing, too. An experienced resume writer will revise your old resume to make it perfect or create a brand new one for you. Thus, your chances to land a dream internship will skyrocket. Take a look at the services we offer and prices, and dont forget to talk to us on chat to claim your personal discount.