Getting a coveted job in your field of interest seems like the biggest issue that young adults transitioning into the workforce are facing these days. But internships can be a great way to decide what you want from your professional life. Employers rely heavily on resumes that illustrate a relevant work history, whether that’s from internships, volunteer work, or actual job experience. A practical work experience can come in handy when attempting to enter the job market. It’s all about competition. Not only are companies competing against each other for a competitive advantage, but people are also competing to land that coveted position in a company. An internship certainly essential to get a feel for whether a particular field is something you want to pursue for the rest of your life. College is the right time to try things out, as you have plenty of time and resources to help you adjust your goals if needed.
An internship gives you a gain first-hand experience of working in the real world.
It also allows you to harness the skill, knowledge, and theoretical practice you learnt in college.
It provides you the opportunity to learn more about yourself.
It helps you to get connected and develop a professional network.
Internships can transition into a full-time position.
Among the most important tips for how to get an internship is to start looking early. Some of the tips to get an internship are-
Build Your Resume: A resume is a brief document that showcases your skills, education and professional background. Typically, resumes will contain your name and contact info, education, professional summary, work experience, skills and additional experience. If you’ve never written a resume before, using a template can be helpful.
Cover Letter: Cover letters provide an extra edge and context to your application. It’s important to note, though, that cover letters shouldn’t just list what’s on your resume but they should persuade whoever is reading the letter that you are uniquely right for this internship. While not always mandatory, cover letters are almost always a good idea. They show that you are passionate about the opportunity, and provide a more well-rounded picture of who you are as a candidate.
Visit Job Sites: There are websites which have millions of job listings, so you’re bound to find something that’s right for you. You can search for the internship titles you’re interested in, and narrow results down by location, size, industry, company ratings and more. To get relevant results delivered to your inbox, you can also create a job alert.
Use Your College’s Career Resources: Almost all colleges have a career site where employers interested in hiring their students can post positions. Career and internship fairs can also be invaluable, as they allow you to connect face-to-face with hiring decision-makers.
Leverage Your Network: If you have a personal recommendation, it can make all the difference in your internship search, so make sure to reach out to friends, family, colleagues, classmates, professors and alumni to see if they know anyone hiring. Another great strategy is to look up the companies you’re interested in and reach out to employees there for an informational interview. You never know what opportunities it might lead to!
Contact Companies Directly: If you have a dream company in mind, but they don’t have any relevant internships, you can always try writing them an email in the hope that they will either contact you when one opens or even create a new one for you. It’s more of a longshot than applying directly, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.