Tell A Story Dont Just List The Facts
One of the most important things you should do when speaking to people, especially when you are recounting your own background, is tell a story instead of listing the facts in dry, chronological order. This could come after tell me about your background or walk me through your resume, but dont wait for those questions if you are driving the conversation .
In addition to making your background easier to remember, a compelling narrative can impress a connection and give them an indication of your strong communication skills.
My first reaction when I hear students tentatively listing their experiences off a resume, going bullet by bullet, is: 1) this person isnt an effective communicator, 2) I already saw the resume, you dont need to read the bullets back to me, and 3) this is an extremely boring conversation.
To build a story, start with a strong, inspiring foundation and think about what pivotal moments in your experiences would be most relevant to your connection . Start with why you attended the school you did, talk about some of the experiences youve had and why they were important to you. Remember to tie it all back to why you want to talk with your connection.
Find An Internship Through An Organisation
There are organisations dedicated to landing students internships in Germany. DAAD for example, is one such organization that caters to North Americans looking to further their education and professional experience in Germany.
Another international organization that exists to place students in a variety of educational, professional and research positions is AIESEC. AIESEC is the global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences. AIESEC has been facilitating youth leadership activities as well as international internships and volunteer experiences for over 65 years, developing a global learning environment across 124 countries and territories. You can find and contact your local office through their website.
Access More Internship Opportunities Via Nottingham Business School
Whatever your level of study, Nottingham Business Schools;career advice team;will help you score internships, jobs, understand your job market and send off picture perfect applications and cover letters to recruiters.
Nottingham Business Schools alumni community comprises of over 100,000 professionals working across all sectors globally. To meet with Nottingham Trent alumni and discuss opportunities and job markets, the university organizes regular events worldwide linking students with former students.;Find out more here!
This article was originally published in September 2016.It was last updated in March 2021
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Talk To Your Professors
Like career counselors, your professors will also know where at least some students are interning now or have interned before. Additionally, many professors have consulting, research and other ties to various companies and organizations outside of academia; thus, they may be aware of internship programs hosted by these organizations.
Facebook University For Engineering
Paid: Yes
When: Summer
Major Preference: Engineering, Computer Science
The website that you spend most of your day browsing;can actually help you with your future. Instead of procrastinating by commenting on;Facebook statuses, you should apply to be an intern there. The program consists of two weeks of training and six weeks of hands-on experience guided by your own personal mentor. This opportunity is exclusively for freshman, so theres less competition. Plus, you get to work in sunny Menlo Park, California.
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Build And Attach A Portfolio
In addition to a well-crafted cover letter and resume, a portfolio offers an additional avenue for applicants to distinguish themselves from the competition. A portfolio provides a window into a prospective intern’s skills, aptitudes, and interests. Fields like art, writing, and journalism all typically require a portfolio. We offer some portfolio tips below:
Prep For The Interview
Ah, the dreaded interview, the final barrier between you and success . Its easy to feel anxious about interviews, but in all honesty, theyre not worth fearing. The thing that can make or break you here is, just like running a marathon or freestyle swimming with sharks, failure to prepare. Be your self. Anticipate questions you might encounter and practice answers. Know what you want to say about yourself and make sure it is professional and not boastful. Dress appropriately, dont wear perfume or cologne, and try to make them laugh. Know what your résumé says, in case you get quizzed on it. Also, remember: the interview process for an intern will be significantly less strenuous than for a potential full-time employee. Some internship application processes, we should point out, are a little less formal and may be all interview. This is especially common in creative fields . For more advice on this subject, check out our handy Interview Tips.
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List Out Your Dream Companies
Next, take your SMART goals above and start listing out all your idea companies.
Honestly, it doesnt even matter if you know whether these companies offer internships at the moment or not.
The idea here is to identify 20-30 dream companies youd LOVE to have an internship with paid or not.
PRO TIP:;You can literally ask for an internship at any company you want. Just because they dont have any openings posted, doesnt mean you cant attempt to wow someone and make them interested in working with you. Its a harder way to do it, but its definitely a more truffle way.
Most people do it backward
Whats scary is how many students do this completely backward.;
Instead of listing out the companies theyd like to intern with, they just hit up job boards or Facebook and see whats out there.
So they end up taking some lame internship they hate and;want to quit;before the end of their first day.
Thats just salt mentality, straight up.
A truffle, on the other hand, starts with what THEY WANT. The first step is to make your dream list.
Expert Advice From A Career Counselor
The college or university career counseling or job placement office is the best place to start a search process. Many offer an array of services including career advising, job shadowing options, job fairs, internship and volunteer listings, resume and cover letter assistance, alumni networking resources and workshops.Kristine Kero, MS, shares key advice on job searching.
Interview
For over 15 years, Kristine Kero, MS, has worked as a career consultant and training specialist for all majors and careers. At City University of Seattle, she provides individual career counseling and teaches workshops on professional job searching, resume writing and interviewing. Kero has a Master of Science in Counseling and specializes in career consulting, career assessment, career transition training and outplacement. She has worked with professionals in the banking, retail, airline, nonprofit and aerospace industries, and has been a member of the Puget Sound Career Development Association since 1990, serving as president and board member.
What are the key misconceptions students have regarding their first career job search?How do you respond to student statements like “it’s useless, there are no jobs out there?”How can students use their existing resources to build credentials? What should students do if they’re in a career with few openings or highly competitive openings?What are the most-common mistakes graduating students make when searching, applying and interviewing?
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How To Succeed In Finding College Internships
Weve all heard how important college internships are for career development. but finding college internships can be tricky. College internships offer an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about a career field and gain hands-on experience. Plus, they allow students to build connections with people in their career fields.;
There are so many positive results of having college internships!;
But how do you find one?;
As a sophomore and junior in college I would hear about the amazing internships that my peers had. I didnt have an internship, and I had no idea how to even get one.;
Getting an internship felt scary because it meant a lot of socializing and being in a work environment. This made me a little stressed, and I knew that being in a work environment like that would be exhausting for me .;
During my junior and senior years of college, I was able to find several different internships using the methods outlined below!;
The 10 Best Websites For Finding An Internship
Alexis DePuyt, 21, an English major at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, was spending the spring semester of her junior year studying in London, when she started hunting for a summer internship back in the States. She logged onto a website called Internships.com and looked for positions near her parents home in Philadelphia. Up popped a posting for a paid summer internship at a three-year-old boutique marketing firm called Sweet Rose Studios in nearby Blue Bell, PA. Through Internships.com she sent in a résumé and cover letter. Within weeks she heard from the firms founder, Sean Rose, who interviewed her via Skype. She was very ambitious and smart and she knew how to research what we do online, he recalls. DePuyt got the internship and loved it. It was a great way to utilize my writing skills, she says. I did blogging, emailing and worked on attracting prospective customers. Says Rose, Shes a terrific writer, very ambitious, independent and able to do things without a ton of babysitting.
I dont want to deter anyone from hunting for internships the way I usually recommend job seekers go about their search, by first tapping their network, relying on personal referrals and targeting companies that attract them. But because online searches really can work for internships, and also help you focus on what you want, Ive put together a list of the best sites for finding an internship:
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Check On Your Schools Policy During Covid
Reach out to your school to determine if internships are available for completion in the fall semester. Some schools are planning that students will be able to complete on-site hours, while others may be mandating that all internship hours are remote. Other schools are considering temporarily shutting down internship opportunities altogether in the fall semester. It is vital that you know whether you can pursue an internship and what format it should take before you move forward. This also gives your advisor a heads up that you are thinking about an internship, as they are an important partner in this process.
Its Not All About The Benjamins
Some internships pay, but thats not exactly standard practice. Typically the structure is this: a business or organization provides students with professional and educational field experience in exchange for free labor. If you can find a paying internship that meets your needs: great. Most dont offer pay however, and having paid labor at the top of your internship criteria is a bad idea for two big reasons. First, you will be severely limiting your choices, and as a result you might miss out on a great experience. Secondly, the pay wont be great anyway, so holding out for a paid position isnt going to do a whole lot for your wallet. Again, paid work can be a good thing, but dont let holding out for cash hold you back.
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A Guide To Finding An Internship During College
College is the ideal time to gain the knowledge and experience needed to prepare you for a new career. While it is a transition time into adulthood where critical thinking and a broader sense of learning is acquired, traditionally it is also where moves to start a career are made. For this reason, attending college and acquiring an internship often go hand in hand. In fact, it might even be a requirement for your major or at least a way to earn school credit.
Even if not required, completing an internship while in college gives you exposure to the workforce, develops your skills and begins to fill out your resume so that acquiring work is easier for you later. In this article, we explore the benefits of completing an internship in college, describe how to get an internship and list some tips for successfully completing an internship while in school.
Related: Definitive Guide To Internships
Create An Impressive Cv
Once youve found the roles and companies you are interested in, youll need to prepare your internship application. This includes an;outstanding CV.
A clean and aesthetically appealing CV will help you stand out. Using a;CV template;may also be a wise move as this can enhance its contents and supercharge your application, even if you have little to no experience.
A;carefully written CV;will also give recruiters a positive first impression, too, as it will clearly display your most compelling information. Generally, an;entry-level or student CV;should list your education and volunteer history at the top, especially if you have no relevant work experience. For example, if you were president of your college newspaper and are;applying for an internship with The Telegraph, make sure to highlight this in your CV.;
Meanwhile, if you are applying for an advertised internship,;adapt your résumé;to that internship description. If the recruiter has listed specific skills required for the role, you need to demonstrate that you possess those skills clearly.
For instance, if you are applying for a graphic design internship scheme, emphasise relevant skills like;;and demonstrate how youd be able to take on any duties that come with the said role.
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Send A Thank You Letter
Regardless if you got the internship or not, its important to send a thank you letter or email once you do hear back from them. If your application is unsuccessful, take the time to thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration.
Be gracious in your;thank you letter, and ensure the hiring manager knows you are still interested in working for the company in future. Its also beneficial if you ask for feedback about the interview, as this will allow you to gain actionable insights. Take the time to reflect on the interview, addressing the areas you can improve in the future. This way, youll be much more prepared in the future.
On the other hand, if your application is successful, be sure to respond to the offer promptly, and give them an answer no later than the following day.
Getting an internship requires patience, persistence and diligence. Although the process of finding and applying to internship programmes is time-consuming and demanding, you could land the internship of your dreams by following the above steps!
Even if you get a few rejections, persist! Hopefully, it will be a matter of time before your efforts pay off!
Have you got any questions regarding internships? Share them with us in the comments section below!
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Draft A Custom Cover Letter For Each Application
In addition to a resumé, youre going to want a rockstar cover letter for each application.
Each cover letter should be customized to the position youre applying for.
And by customized we DONT mean:
- Changing the address at the top of the page
- Adding the persons name to the salutation
- Changing your company to Adidas
No, take the time to ACTUALLY write a stand-out cover letter.;
If youre not sure how to do that,;this in-depth article will be super helpful.
Even if theres no job posting, you can still reach out and ask.
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Define What Youre Looking For
When people hear get specific, theyll typically nod and shrug. Yeah, yeah. I got it.
And yet hardly anyone actually does it!
For example, if we asked you right now, Whats your dream internship? how would you respond? 99.9999999% of us would say something like:
- Im looking for an internship thats challenging and rewarding.
- I want to work with the guys on Suits.
- I want to learn something that lets me really make an impact.
- I want to work with people!
Pure, unadulterated salt. Blech.
Instead, you should get serious about this and set a SMART goal to help identify exactly what you want out of an internship experience.;
Remember: Internships are about WAY MORE than just getting course credit so you can graduate. Keep that in mind as you follow the next section.
You Can Still Do An Internship Even Though You’ve Already Graduated These Approaches Will Help You Find The Right One
An internship after graduation can kick-start your career.
If you’re a new college graduate, you already know how difficult the entry-level job market is. And if you graduated without picking up any work experience, your job search may be even tougher. But here’s something you may not know: You can still do an internship after graduation, and it may actually give you a better shot at landing a full-time job later.
If you’ve graduated or are about to and are struggling to find a job, a postgraduation internship is an option to explore right now. Don’t be put off by the myth that internships are for current students only. Consider these approaches, and be sure to check out;Monster’s grad site;for more great info.
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Career Resources For The Recent Grad
There are a wealth of opportunities online for college graduates just finishing school and beginning the job search. From job seeking sites, to networking, to tips and tricks, here are some of the top resources all recent grads should visit while on the hunt for their first job out of school.
Job Seeking & Career Help Sites
Additional Advice & Resources