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You’ve spent hours on Google, searching for dozens of different businesses to apply to. After days of trying, you’re on what seems like your 50th application. Face it – it’s that time of year when your self-esteem faces the ultimate test. As you fill out dozens of internship applications, you compare yourself to peers who have landed stellar positions and you start to question your own life goals and capabilities.
How will you differentiate yourself from the collection of resumes employers have on their desks?
Well, when it comes to landing that internship, it’s all about marketing yourself. You are among thousands of resumes, some of them okay, some excellent, others teeming with brilliant experience. How are you going to stick out? Here are a few things you can do to ramp up your application and land yourself that internship.
It’s easy to fill out a million and one applications, but those forms get lost in the hundreds – or even thousands – of other applications. Email the HR representative for the company to inform him or her that you have applied to that internship. Inquire whether there is contact in the company to whom you should refer your questions. This will look like you are showing active interest in that particular company.
There is a fine line, however, to persistence. When you show up for an interview, its good to show up around 10-15 minutes early just to soak in the work environment and the emotional climate of the place. However, showing up too early can actually hurt your chances. Arriving 30 minutes early could send a message of desperation and also throw an unwelcome “curve ball into the hiring manager’s schedule” says Kathleen Elkins of Business Insider.
If you’re ahead of schedule, kill the time with a snack or some tea to calm your nerves. If you are worried about arriving late, do a mock trip to the interview site. That way, you have an understanding of how long it takes to get there, peak traffic time and when you should leave home.
After you complete any interview, phone or in-person, it doesn’t hurt to follow up with a thank you. The interviewer took time out of his or her day to speak with you. Show your appreciation with a brief email of gratitude for the interview and expressing a hope to hear back soon from the company soon.
It’s important that you follow up as soon as you can, within 48 hours. It is up to your digression if you want to send a thank you email right after the interview, that evening or the next morning. However, job coaches do recommend that you follow up quickly, especially if it is a sought after job with some stiff competition.
If you have a LinkedIn account (which you should absolutely have), you are able to see where alumni from your university work. Maybe they used to work at the same company to which your are applying. It doesn’t hurt to schedule a call with him or her, gain some insight into the company or ask for some advice for putting together an application. You can even inquire whether he or she knows anyone else who might be able to answer any further questions you might have.
Sometimes major companies will reach out to professors for their opinions on a student who might be a good candidate for a job. Get to know you professors. They are educators and professionals in your field – make use of their knowledge, ask them for advice and maintain your relationships with them. They are an invaluable resource for questions about academic, professional or industry experience and can provide excellent recommendations for future jobs or internships.
Websites like Media Bistro, Internships and Looksharp are reliable websites to find student employment. While these sites are often great ways of finding internships and entry-level positions, be sure to err on the side of caution and stay clear of people who may exploit your labor.
Check if your university gives summer grants, which are sums of money given to students who are doing an unpaid internship or need summer funds during their employment. You can use these grants to help pay for rent and groceries.
A major concern of many college students is having to apply to jobs closer to home because of the company’s inability to relocate the intern. Regardless of where the internship is, apply to any and every job opportunity that interests you.
Keep your confidence and determination high to get your foot in the door. You’ll be calling yourself an intern in no time!
