An internship is supposed to help you enter the workforce with a likelihood of success and happiness. So don't treat it like "any old" part-time job search!
Plan ahead and develop an internship strategy. The first time, you could invest a few months into research, reflection and planning. If you do this once, you'll be able to do it faster the next time. Finding the right internship is like a real job search. You must match your skills and learning need to the employer's needs. And you have to be good at demonstrating that match in an interview.
So, to make an internship meaningful, don't wait until the last minute. You can get help from several resources below, but be prepared to do all of the leg work yourself.
1. Think about your long-term goals. What type of company of industry would you like to work in? What area of a company are you looking to get experience in? What type of duties would related to your long-term career goal?
2. If you're a college student, work with your faculty or advisor to put together a list of typical job functions, Many internship dutueis are negotiable for the top candidates.
3. Do some online research about the top employers in your area. Learn about their missions, business focus and news. Find the employers' annual reports on their web sites. Read the Chairman's Lettera to learn about the companies' current plans, successes and challenges.
4. Post your resume on the employers' sites. Include a career objective with keywords on your resume. Employers often look here first when searching for candidates.
5. Create a new job alert on sites like jobs.nuAlerts, nuResume, Indeed, SimplyHired, and Jobster. Answer the basic questions, select your areas of interest and join your favorite employers’ networks.
6. Professional associations are always looking to students to get involved as volunteers or in competitions. Attending their local functions as a visitor will get you direct exposure to hiring managers. Ask your college faculty which professional associations are most popular with specific employers in your area.
The more knowledge you have about the company and its goals; and the better you'll be to prove your fit for the job in your cover letter, get selected for an inteview, and convince the employer that you're the right person for the job!
My mission is to empower youth with: - The knowledge about career possibilities, and the education and training needed to attain them - The creative-thinking and emotional skills that make for good career decisions and which employers prefer; - And the resilience needed to flourish in life.
