Since many students are currently wondering how to obtain internships in college, I thought now would be the perfect time to discuss 4 steps that can be taken to do so. However, we're not only going to discuss how you can obtain an internship. On the contrary, we're going to discuss how you can obtain the internship of your dreams! All of the following steps are based on my own experiences with obtaining internships, as I am more than proud to say that I've obtained two already.
P.S. don't just scroll through them, really take the time to read and understand what each one means. You won't get very far if you don't.
1. Start searching for internship opportunities ahead of time.
Organizations are typically looking to hire interns towards the end of each semester (fall, spring, and summer), so that's usually when you should be prepared to reach out to them. Take the time you have now to really look into some possible internship opportunities so that you'll be ready to contact each organization to let them know you're interested in working with them the following semester.
If you're a college student, one of the best ways you can conduct your search would be to examine a list of opportunities provided by the department that is affiliated with your major.
Talk to your major adviser to find out the opportunities that may be available within the department.
2. Make sure those internships pertain to the skills you already have.
Remember, you're more likely to get offered an internship that pertains to the skills you already have. Therefore, make sure that whatever internships you inquire about pertain to the skills you already have as a potential intern.
3. Reach out to several organizations and inform them of everything you have to offer.
Now comes the most important step: reaching out to those organizations you're genuinely interested in working with. This can be a bit scary, seeing as it's almost like applying for college. However, the best part of this step is that it's your chance to inform those organizations of all of the outstanding qualities you have to offer them as a potential intern.
Make sure you have an up-to-date resume ready to send out to each individual organization (I suggest using https://www.myperfectresume.com to create yours).
I emailed each of the organizations I was interested in working with, making sure to share specific past experiences and qualities of mine that I felt pertained to the specifications for each position.
Read the specifications for each internship position carefully, as this will help you to pinpoint personal qualities and experiences of yours that each of the organizations is looking for in potential interns.
Structure your emails professionally, almost as if you are reaching out to a new professor or member of an admissions committee.
For a more detailed layout of the kind of email, you could send to potential organizations, feel free to watch my YouTube video entitled "How to Write a Professional Letter/Email to Someone" at:
4. Really consider your internship offers before you finally decide to commit to one.
Once you receive a few internship offers, you'll need to really consider your options before finally deciding to commit to one. After all, you're going to be partaking in this internship for quite a while (most likely one full semester), so it's best to make sure you are committing to an internship that you'll always want to dedicate a good amount of your time to.
A few simple questions to ask yourself before committing to an internship are:
-Will this internship benefit my future career plans?
-Does this internship really pertain to my interests?
-To what extent will graduate schools/future employers appreciate the fact that I've partaken in this internship?
-Do I have what it takes to really commit myself to this internship for as long as one semester?
-What NEW qualities will I gain from partaking in this internship?
While almost every internship you partake in will increase your chances of being employed or accepted to graduate school in the future, it is important to remember that there is so much more to gain from an internship than just another experience to add to your resume. In other words, make sure that whatever internship you commit to will both challenge and change you for the better.
