How to Be Successful in Landing a Great Internship

Where everyone wants to do internships for different reasons, we can’t deny that one must start looking for internship early in their academic career. Your internship will benefit you with many things. It will give you the experience you will need in the start of your professional career and it will help you get a good start too. When you get an internship, you experience the work environment and learn a lot of things that will benefit you once your actual career starts. Also, getting an internship is important for some majors and summer internships are a requirement in most majors. The competition is tough and there is never enough time. So gear up because we are all set to get an internship!

Now that you are all set to find a suitable internship and you are all energetic about it, first thing we need to do here is to broaden the search. We understand that there are these places that you dream of working but then why would they hire you, right? Stop thinking like that. Dream big and make a huge list of what kinds of places you might work at. Those places do not have to be ones only geographically within your range, look beyond possibilities and think about the ones too that are far from where you are. Do not restrict your search to Google. Make it real and go out on a hunt and use your contacts. Meet your professors and ask them if they know of any opportunities they know of. Ask family and family friends, ask anyone whom you think might know, and get moving. Never stop checking your emails, keep checking that spam mails because you may never know when you find an email that is surprisingly exactly what you are looking for.

And now let’s begin the real business and get on with the work:

• Do you know which skills companies are looking for? Have you thought about making a list of your own skills and comparing them with the ones most companies are looking for? Don’t panic, open up few hiring websites and see the lists of skills in the relevant areas, that is the thing you need! Find relevant skills and make a list. Because you are looking for internships, you obviously do not have any experiences to write down in your CV, does not mean that you don’t have anything to write. Write the skills you have come up with and the ones you really know in your CV.
• You need to observe successful people and learn how they do things. Try to learn their good habits and how they deal with challenges in their professional life. Learn from others as it will teach you thing without having to experience them. Focus on the people related to your majors.
• What better way to make new connections and meet new people than seminars that are conducted for the very purpose? Join seminars and events related to your majors and met likeminded individuals and more important people. Socializing is very important when you are heading towards a professional life and a career. The more people you meet, the more you learn and the more networking opportunities you get. Never miss a chance to attend seminars and events.
• You don’t have to wait till summers to start looking for internships. Most companies roll out internship programs in the beginning of the year and that is not when most people are looking for internships. This means less competition. So start looking early and take advantage for the time. You will also get options to choose from.
• Never stop making goals for yourself. Make realistic goals and makes lists of them. Do the kind of things you don’t think you are capable of. Practice interviews and ask yourself the questions that you don’t at presently have the answers for to be absolutely ready for the questions interviewer throws at you. Ask yourself why you will hire yourself instead of so many other options out there. Do not just remain an option, be someone who a company wants to hire.
• When you don’t have experience, there is a slightly low self esteem when the interviewer starts looking at your CV. Do not express or show them how you feel in fact gather all the confidence in your capabilities and skills and appear confident.
• Make your CV and cover letter game strong by learning the art of both online. When you have Google, you are not lost. Spend time in learning expert tips on constructing a winning CV. Your CV is the thing that will represent you and the cover letter to explain your goal a little further. So your CV should be professional and simple, neatly organized and written. Get your CV checked by your professors and if you know any professionals, you can get their help too. The best would be to find someone from the field you are planning to get in to and get an opinion on your CV; nothing should go wrong when it is about your CV!
• Now is the time to apply, do you have a dream place you always wanted to work at? Do they not offer internship programs? There is always a first time for everything. Apply first in the places you would love to work and give your best. Then remember to follow up. People often forget this follow up step and it is very important to follow up on your application. Leave in your contact information in the follow up email so that they don’t have to dig in to find your contact details. Let them know why it would be a pleasure to work there so they know your determination and consider you.

Finding an internship is not a quick process; it will take time and determination but follow the right steps and do not lose your heart!

Author Bio:

Ashley Sewell is working with a dissertation writing services company. She loves to write and often help students by providing them career guide.