In the midst of midterms, clubs and organizations, projects, sports, upcoming breaks and oh yeah–class, even the thought of looking for an internship can be overwhelming. I’m going to help you simplify your internship search.
I definately understand that you have a lot going on – which might even include your fall internship. The reality of the matter is that the summer 2019 internship search season is already underway. Seeing as how it is only October, you are not behind, but I’m trying to keep you from falling behind.
So how do we make the internships search process a little less daunting? Here are a four things you can do to ease your stress.
1. Get Your Resume Ready Before You Start
Before you dive head first into looking for an internship, you need to pause and make sure you have a good resume. You don’t want to find a position you want, only to have to then stop and write a resume. If you don’t know how to write a resume, then it is time to learn how to create this vital piece of your package. Career services is your first stop.
A few quick tips about your resume:
- It should only be one-page.
- Ditch the objective in favor of a summary statement.
- Your bullet points should have quantitative results.
- Do not include your GPA if it is under 3.0.
- Do not use pronouns.
I’ve put together a free resume template to simplify the process for you. The template walks you through the best information to include, and what you can leave out. Download it now and just start to fill in the information.
2. Get Organized for Your Search
Getting and staying organized is a game-changer when it comes to the internship search process. You will likely apply to many internships before you get your dream internship. So, staying organized is important when you consider that your resume could be floating around to multiple openings. You don’t want to get mixed up, get called for an interview and have the wrong information.
My Internship Manual Toolkit gives you some organizational tools to keep you on track. The Internship Action Sheet and a detailed Internship Search Timeline will help you chart your path and track your progress. By using these worksheets you will be able to easily organize the internships you are applying for.
3. Grow Your Confidence
As you start to apply, you will hopefully start to get calls for interviews. Don’t wait until the call comes, be proactive and start practicing. Whether by phone, Skype or in person, you need to be interview ready if you are going to land an internship.
Doing mock interviews on campus is a great way to get feedback on what you do well, and what you need to work on. Participating in interviews, practicing answers on your own, researching common interview questions will all begin to boost your confidence as an interviewee.
Read: Phone Interview Success in Five Steps
4. Be Open to Opportunity
I think one of the best things about internships is that they present the opportunity to explore career options before making a long term committment. The value of the eight internships I did in college was not just the work experience added to my resume, but learning how to build relationships, working in various settings and figuring out what skills I needed to develop.
As a public relations major I did internships in marketing, sales and the non-profit sector. Remaining open to opportunities allowed me to see different departments and learn things I wasn’t learning in my communications and public relations classes. So, as you start this process, don’t be afraid to push yourself to explore beyond the box of you major. If you are casting a wide net, it is less stressful because it will be easier to find internships to apply for.
Your next step is to download The Internship Manual Toolkit and Resume Template now! Happy searching!
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