A wealth of knowledge, lifelong friendships, school loans and
the ability to do your own laundry without ruining your favorite
shirt - these are all things you will have when you graduate
from college. Hopefully, an internship will be included on your
list, too. If you enter the working world without prior experience,
you may find it difficult to land your first job. An internship
will help you apply what you've learned in school to the workplace,
as well as help you explore various fields and industries before
you make the big leap.
Long before you don the cap and gown, you should be searching
for opportunities to gain familiarity with your chosen career
path. Many websites offer listings of internships, including
CareerBuilder.com (link) and internshipprograms.com (link),
with opportunities throughout the country and abroad.
Be resourceful in your search. Visit your school's career
center and talk to a counselor. This may seem obvious, but
many students never take the time to check out the opportunities
in their own backyard! If you're heading home for semester
breaks or during the summer, take a look at the companies
in your hometown. Your parents' friends are likely to be good
resources for you and even act as a reference. Check in with
former teachers and coaches, too.
Explore opportunities with industry leaders. Most internships
are arranged by the individual departments that need assistance
or, in a larger company, through the human resources department.
Start early in the year to see when internships begin (they
often coincide with college terms) and when the company will
begin taking and reviewing applications. Being the first application
on the internship coordinator's desk shows you've got spunk
and if your area of study or interests matches their need, you're
likely to be the first one they call.
Don't forget to look to trade associations and non-profit organizations.
While they may not offer the highest paying positions, you may
find that there is less competition and a lot more opportunity
to do real work. Non-profit organizations contain in many of
the same entities as for-profit companies, including accounting,
research, communications, marketing and human resources. And
since most not-for-profit organizations have limited staff,
you may be given real projects to develop and manage.
Even if you spend most of your summer intern days making
copies and being the office gopher, you can learn and grow
from your experience. If your internship lacks structure,
talk to your supervisor to see if there is a small project
you could do to test out something you've learned in class.
For example, if you are working toward a degree in public
relations, ask for the chance to write a press release or
contribute an article to a newsletter. Ask department members
to allow you to shadow them for a day to see what their real
jobs entail. Then offer to help them out on a task you've
observed them do. Take time to learn new computer skills,
try out new software, read trade journals, and review press
clippings. Take notes and listen attentively during meetings.
Set up lunch dates to meet with staff members to learn more
about their jobs; prepare a list of questions, learn about
how they advanced in their careers, and ask to see samples
of their work.
If you demonstrate a strong work ethic, show a high level
of enthusiasm and interest, and perform well on your assignments
the company may ask you to come back once you've graduated.
If there isn't a position for you, your internship will still
provide benefits in your post-collegiate life. Your supervisors
can serve as references for you. Keep in touch with your fellow
staff members - this is your first step into networking. Finally,
remember to include this experience on your resume.
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