Tips For College Students Searching For Internships

Finding and getting hired for an internship can be a challenging process. There are a plethora of websites and job boards out there. To ensure you’re maximizing your chances of landing that dream internship it’s imperative to know where the best places are to look. Below are some great resources on where to look for those internships followed by some helpful tips when applying.

Where to Look

Twitter- Twitter is an excellent resource for finding that perfect internship. You can search for internships using hashtags or visiting some of the numerous accounts dedicated to posting internships within your field and desired location.

LinkedIn- Some of the best internships can be found through networking. Once you make a connection on LinkedIn, send a personal message to a recruiter or hiring manager. You can ask for an informational interview if they are a recruiter. Customize your internship search by field, location, and other parameters.

Indeed.com- Many of the listings on Indeed come from major job boards, and company pages. Indeed allows you to save searches and have internship listings delivered via email alert through RSS feeds making it an excellent resource.

Internships.com- Internships.com boasts a broad search criteria that spans major, industry, location, and company. Additional resources like intern stories and a blog as well as tips for improving your interview skills make it extremely helpful.

InternMatch.com- InternMatch.com has one main focus, internships. Take advantage of their search engine, and many resources when applying for your dream internship.

Professional Associations- Professional associations specialize in a particular occupational area and often times will post internships or can be helpful in directing you to a specific career fair or employer looking to bring hire an intern.

State and Local Employment Agencies- Each state has a government-sponsored employment agency. These agencies will assist residents in finding employment and often times internships. Many agencies are broken up by sector and vary from state to state. Check with your local agency on how to apply.

When Applying

Most of the time internship applications will be sent via email directly to the hiring manager. Here are some tips to make a professional impression.

• Analyze and clean up your digital footprint if necessary. Make sure to search yourself online by simply googling yourself. Employers will search for you online. Be sure to delete anything damaging to your reputation.
• Use your college email address when sending your application.
• Make sure the email is brief and to the point. Here is an example:

Dear (Hiring Manager Name),
Attached please find my cover letter and resume for the Summer 2015 internship at (Place you are applying). I'm currently a senior at the George Washington University and am very interested in gaining school credit for this opportunity. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
(Your Name)

• Your cover letter and resume should be sent as separate documents.
• When saving your resume and cover letter be sure to make it professional. For example saving it as (Your Name) Resume and (Your Name) Cover Letter.

Now you have the tools necessary to find and apply to that internship of your dreams. Follow these helpful tips and be persistent in your pursuit and it will pay dividends in the end. Good luck!

Editors Note: Check out the Fall internship opportunities at FOSI!!