School is out for summer! But now what the hell do I do? If your mom has called three times to tell you about your overachieving cousin Tommy, who is interning at Goldman Sachs this summer and working three jobs, as she subtly implies you need to be more like Tommy, then this is for you. Here are your go-to tips and tricks to find that perfect job or internship; nail your resume, kill it in your interview and everything in between.
First you need to know what you are looking for in your summer job or internship. Are you trying to make as much money as you can, work a little with time for summer classes or land your dream internship with your hopeful future employer? The best way to do this is to make a goal sheet. Start big, with your end career goal, then work backwards and make a tree diagram of possible steps to get there. You want to be a marketing director in corporate America? Search for positions in social media, graphic design, public relations or advertising. Don't limit yourself to something with something so specific to your major, you can gain experience and become a well rounded asset to your future employer by dabbling in different areas that all relay back to your end goal.
Pro Tip: Know what you are looking for by making a diagram of your end goal and working backwards.
Focus on finding not only a job or internship that you want, but one that is also an appropriate match for your qualifications and schedule. One of the best tools at your disposal is the Sun Devil Career Link. If you're new to it just Google "Sun Devil Career Link," sign in as a student, and click "Jobs, Internships, & Interviews," then search away. You can narrow by date posted, location and keywords. These are employers that are searching for ASU students and has submitted their job posting specifically to ASU students, talk about an easy first step in the door. Don't negate internships that are unpaid, we all have to start somewhere and if you aren't experienced enough for a company to pay you for your work yet start leaning how to be. Ask all your connections if they know of a business/individual looking for help this summer. This means asking friends, family, professors you made a connection with, any Greek life or university organizations you're involved in. The best way to find a job or internship is through someone who knows you and can vouch for your strengths. LinkedIn is also a good search engine for local job postings.
Pro Tip: Dig deeper than Googling "jobs" or "internship;" start small by talking with people you already know.
Let's talk resume. Don't fall asleep just yet; this is your time to brag about yourselves and no one is staring at you asking about your strengths and weaknesses—though that'll come soon. First impressions are everything and when yours starts with Times New Roman font on a white paper, it needs to continually engage and interest the reader. But really, take your time writing your resume, make sure each experience you have is listed in bullet points that give a what, how and why. There should be an explicit "how" you did what you did and a visible result from your action, either gaged in numbers, physical portfolio proof or a general end result. Keep it all concise and most importantly have it proofread as many times as you can, and consider seeking a career advisor. Make sure your resume is catered to the position you are applying for and bring attention to keywords in the job description, one resume does not fit all.
Pro Tip: Continually update your resume, don't wait until the night before. Oh and have it proofread.
If you get an interview, your resume did it's job to get you there but now you need to sell yourself. You're either selling that they need you or that you at least can make a noticeable benefit to their company. Do research on the company and be briefly familiar with their history, important employees, and what this company's mission is. Take a minute to think about how you can help this business achieve their goal, it may be as small as eliminating tedious work for the experienced staff or keeping the office organized. Whatever it may be make it visible that you can benefit them in more ways that just what they expect from an average employee or intern. Practice the common interview questions like, "Tell me about yourself", "What are you expectations for this position?", "Explain a time when you had to....". Grab your roommate and offer to make dinner if they practice questions with you. Once the interview has come you should be dressed appropriately with nothing distracting on, have at least two resumes with you, any proof of your professional achievements, a paper and pen and last but not least, leave your phone in your car!
Pro Tip: When answering questions give examples of your experience that shows your answer to be true, or give a quick mention of a fact about the company showing you did research.
After you blow them away at your interview, send a thank you email. Don't send a follow-up email asking them if you got the position or not, but a thank you email—formatted professionally—thanking them for their time and consideration. This shows that you care about the position and it puts your name in their head one more time.
TL;DR: Take your time in your search and go above and beyond with your practice and diligence. It will pay off.
