It is always this time of year when the pressure of getting an internship in either the Spring or the Summer starts to begin. Whether you are a student that has been applying since the early Fall or someone that just started to look at applications, it, for the most part, is a struggle obtaining the internship of your dreams.
Before you even begin to apply to internships, it is important to get your resume updated to reflect all of your recent grades and job opportunities. Under each job that you have, try to keep what you did for the job short and sweet. It makes reading your resume easier and shows that you can list your strengths and skills in a clear and concise manner.
In terms of cover letters, it is extremely important to cater your skills on your cover letter to whatever the job description has to offer. Keeping your cover letter and everything that you mention tailored to the job that you are applying for is key. This may sound simple, but it is definitely something that people forget to do or just are not sure how to go about doing.
Along with your resume and cover letters, it is important to apply to as many internships as you possibly can. The more you apply to, the more likely you are to get one!
I would definitely say that the most important thing to think about when applying for internships is to look for connections. A lot of people are able to find connections through their parents or siblings that are already in the workplace.
If you are one of those people that can't do that, it would be extremely helpful for you to make an account on Linkedin. I definitely have been using that to make connections and build my network with past alumni from my university.
In doing this not only are you able to reach out to people that have gone to the same college as you, but you are also able to meet a lot of people that have had the same experiences as you. They are extremely likely to share advice on their jobs and how they went about getting them, especially when they see that you went to the same university as you.
Getting advice from people while making your connections can also help you figure out exactly what kind of job you want when you get out of college. They can connect you to other people and soon you will find yourself in a position where you may have an internship!
Getting internships is a very daunting and difficult task. It is one that all college kids struggle with and work towards achieving. As long as you are able to really put in the time and the effort to build your network and try to figure out what you really want out of an internship you will on the right track to getting one.