What do your parents, peers, professors, and future employers all have in common?
They all want to see an internship on your resume. In fact, they expect it. They directly favor students that have had one. 65.4 percent of 2014 graduates who had completed a paid internship as a student received job offer prior to graduation.
And the opportunities are there; 97 percent of employers plan to hire interns this year, meaning there are literally millions of internships on the market. We are living in perhaps the easiest and most accessible time in history for a student to get an internship.
But as we students know, finding and getting that perfect internship can be really difficult. It’s a challenge that most other stakeholders (i.e our parents, professors, and even future employers) struggle to empathize with.
Here, though, is the truth: we (students) are all capable of adding some sort of value to some sort of company. The problem is that most of us have no idea what that value is, or where it would make the most sense to apply it. There is a disconnect between employers (startups, big corps, non-profits, etc.) and students. We have a communication problem, not a talent problem.
Luckily, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to get an internship (whatever age you are) and I am going to show you how you can do it.
Of course, no advice is prescriptive. At the end of the day, anything I (or anyone) tell you can only possibly be helpful if you do something with it. Otherwise, we are just wasting each other’s time.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR FIRST INTERNSHIP ?
Phase 1 – The Why
Reasons To Apply
What Do You Want To Get Out Of It
Finding The Right Company
Phase 2 – Preparation
Understanding Your Value
The Paper Resume and Cover Letter
The Modern Resume, Your Personal Brand
Phase 3 – Applying
Organizing Your Applications
The Art of The Warm Email
Providing Value Beforehand
Congratulations, hopefully you have now gotten your dream internship :).