As Spring and Summer internships are on the rise, students are anxiously looking for various ways to stand out among the hundreds to thousands of applicants that may be applying to their dream internship. It’s not enough to get noticed among companies anymore, it’s all about STANDING OUT from the crowd.
The anxiety that surrounds the subject of wanting to be the perfect internship candidate continues to grow, as companies, and students, become more competitive.
However, I’m here to give you FIVE surefire ways that you will stand out as the perfect internship candidate
1. Have a BOMB Portfolio
It's always great to have an amazing portfolio that showcases samples of your work. If you're applying for a specific position, pay particular attention to the skills advertised in the job description, then use that information to help guide you on what to put front and center on your portfolio.
Say you're applying for an internship that deals with Social Media Marketing. You would want to make the previous work you've done with social media marketing easily accessible, more so than the other work you may have done
2. Give them the Ol' Razzle Dazzle
A unique way to get the time and attention of startup leaders is to offer a suggestion for the company or present an interesting perspective of the business that they hadn't thought of before.
3. Craft a GOLDEN Resume and Cover Letter
Use many facts, figures, and numbers as you can in your resume bullet points. Think about how many people were impacted by your work, or by what percentage did you exceed your goals. By quantifying your accomplishments, you allow the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility you needed to achieve this accomplishment.
When you're writing your cover letter, remember that the hiring manager is likely going to be reading a lot of them, so give your cover letter some flair and personality, while still keeping it classy! Crafting an engaging letter with some color will match people's eyes and make them think, "Wow, this would be a fun person to work with."
4. Make a Killer First Impression
When you swing open the doors to your interview with your internship, or even if it's a Skype call, you always want to have the BEST first impression. The person at the front desk may not be the hiring manager, but that doesn't mean his or her impression of you doesn't matter. Dress for success! Find out how company regulars dress on a daily basis, and then step it up a notch for that first meeting.
Walk in with confidence and a smile, and make sure to always greet whoever you may come in contact with. You never know who you may end up working for! Introduce yourself by making eye contact, smiling, stating your first and last name, and giving a firm brief handshake. Make sure to listen to the other person's name and then use it twice while you're speaking so you won't forget! This will not only help you remember his or her name but also appear sincere and interested in the conversation.
5. Ace the Interview
Overall, the most impressive candidates are those who genuinely care about the company and job they are interviewing for, have done their research, and are able to sell themselves based on that information. Also, take your portfolio to a job interview and refer to the items inside while discussing your work experience.
Saying your work experience is one thing, showing your portfolio and work experience is another. Be ready with ideas for how you'd like to improve the company in your role. What new features would you be most excited to build? Finally, focus on being a thoughtful participant in the conversation than on trying to predict what's coming next and how you're going to respond to the interview questions.
Hopefully, these tips can shed off some of the anxiety you may be having about your upcoming interviews during your internship search.
Remember to always have confidence, think about how you can diversify yourself, and STAND OUT! You're bound to be a top candidate for your dream internship!
