The school year is quickly coming to an end, and if you are anything like me, you are beginning to stress about grabbing an internship before it's too late. Last summer I had an internship with VML (now VMLY&R), a fantastic full-service marketing agency, in their client services department. I applied to over 10 internships, and lets just say I was beyond stressed at this point in the year because it wasn't until late March/early April that I heard back. So if you are at the waiting stage yourself, please please please try not to stress because it only takes one company to say "yes". In this post, I am going to share four ways to help you get an internship.
1. Network
I owe my landing of an internship to networking, so this is not a step you can ignore. Networking sounds incredibly intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Who did I talk to to get mine? My dad's coworker's friend. It just takes mentioning what you're searching for to one person to get the ball rolling. I've gotten leads from my parents, professors, friend's parents, distant relatives, even customers at the coffee shop where I work. The key is simply sharing with people what you want. People want to see you succeed. Remember to use your alumni network as well. Alumni are always willing to help.
2. Fix up your resume and cover letter template
This is key. Before attaching your resume to an email, it is important to make sure your resume is 100% up to date. You want to make sure you include powerful verbs, all relevant experience and your accomplishments. It can be easy to glaze over mistakes after you've been editing all day, so remember to always send it to someone (or a few someones) to look over before submitting it.
This is also the time to adjust your cover letter. Although you should not submit the same cover letter to each job, you can create a solid template that will make the process easier in the long run. The template should include why you want to work for the specific company, what specific skills you have, projects you've worked on, jobs you've had and why the company would be lucky to have you.
*Let me know if you want to see a post all about putting together a solid resume.*
3. Clean up your online presence
This step is crucial to do before you start submitting applications. Yes you want to make sure your social media is "employer friendly", but there are other things online you need to remember. Mainly, your LinkedIn profile and your online portfolio. Think of your LinkedIn as a more concise, easier to read version of your resume. You want to keep it updated and current to reflect your professional side.
In my experience, my portfolio is the first thing I let go. I never feel like updating it and it often falls behind. If you're in school, I recommend using the end of the semester as your check-in date. Look through all the work you've done, all the projects you've completed, and make the updates while you are still in school mode.
4. Don't think too much
This may be the hardest part, but stressing over the search won't help you (I say as I'm internally freaking out). In my experience, and my friends', they often get the internship after they stop thinking about it constantly. Not sure how it works, but as soon as you shift your worry to something else, you get what you've been waiting for.
My final piece of advice- You have to remember that everything happens for a reason, it'll all fall into place, blah blah blah. But truly, it will work out. And if you're feeling behind and stressed, you're not the only one. There are a whole lot of people who don't have a plan... or even a pl- (insert Friends gif here). Good luck!
THE TO DO LIST
1. Network because talking to people will get you way far in life
2. Spruce up all the things- your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, portfolio and social media accounts
3. Stop freaking out, take a breath and tell me your top "how to get an internship" tips. You know a lot more than you give yourself credit for.
