Your Guide to Getting an Internship
Getting Your Foot In The Door
Whether you’re a high school student or a college grad, getting an internship is the first step to gaining work experience, as well as inside knowledge of your desired career.
But why is an internship important?
These days, most businesses and companies will not hire you purely on the basis of your having a high school diploma or a university degree. Instead, they will check to see if you have enough training and work experience so that you are prepared to take on a new job role immediately.
Alternatively, if you show a strong work ethic and make a strong enough impression, a successful internship could possibly turn into a full-time job!
If this sounds interesting, then let’s get started!
The First Step
The first step to getting an internship is to go over your credentials, which can help narrow down your search for an internship.
There are a couple of ways of doing this:
- Consider Your Qualifications
If you’re a high school student who’s interested in pursuing a career in education or you’re a college student who’s studying towards a degree in fashion and make-up, for example, research these fields in-depth. From there, you can find out if these fields still interest you (after all, you want to make sure you enjoy it!), if you have the appropriate qualifications, what qualifications you still need to gain, etc.
- Examine Your Skillset
Many businesses and companies will employ candidates who have honed critical workplace skills; for example, good communication, time-management, the ability to work in a team and so on. Find out which skills you excel in (or which can be developed further), then find out what jobs out there require these skills.
- Look Back at Your Previous Experiences
Perhaps you’ve had a part-time shop at a retailer, which required you to have good communication and time-management skills. Or maybe you worked as a volunteer at an animal shelter or old-age home, which saw you honing your resilience and organisational skills. These all count as work experience, which could pave the way for internships in human resources, at a veterinary clinic or at a hospital.
- Review Your Extracurricular Activities
Even with little or no work experience, volunteering or working through your school or community can still improve upon your skillset and bolster your CV, which will draw the eyes of potential employers.
The Second Step
Now that you have an idea of what internships suit you, now it’s onto finding one!
- Visit Career Fairs
Hiring managers and recruiters representing a company will be on-hand at these events to answer your questions and give you invaluable information. They may also be aware of available internships, so this is a good opportunity for you to make a memorable first impression and show that you’re interested in doing work experience.
- Do Some Networking
Perhaps your friend’s parents are both active in the IT sector, or maybe your high school music teacher knows some people who work as sound engineers. Reach out to your friends, family, and teachers/lecturers about possible internship opportunities – they could possibly recommend you personally for a post or at least point you in the right direction of one.
- Research Job Sites
Employers make use of websites such as CareerJunction, Careers24 and Indeed.com among others to post job listings from entry-level to senior positions. Internships can also be found here. You can filter these pertaining to your specifics – for example, there may be countless internships related to journalism, but perhaps you have your heart set on working at a newspaper closer to home than a magazine company halfway across the country.
- Utilise Social Media
These days, many businesses and companies have social media profiles so that they can directly interact with potential clients, showcase their projects, etc. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are the most popular social media accounts to do so. These are also used to advertise job positions, including internships. Follow these accounts so that you can keep an eye out for possible internships; alternatively, use them to contact their hiring managers for similar opportunities.
- Contact Companies Directly
Phone, email or write to businesses/companies of interest regarding any available internships. That way, they can let you know if one is available (if not, when one will become available) or refer you to another business/company. Remember to be polite and professional when contacting them, and thank them for their time; even if an internship is not immediately available, they may keep you in mind next time.
The Third Step
Now that you have identified the internships you want to pursue, it’s time to start applying for them. It’s important to apply for more than one internship – casting your net wide will gain you more exposure and opportunities to choose from.
- Write Your CV
Your CV should look professional as much as possible. It should include information about you (ie. your name, age, location, etc), how to contact you, education, work experience, skills, accomplishments and any other relevant experience. Make sure it’s free of spelling/grammar mistakes, it’s concise and easy to read.
What’s more, utilise language that contains buzzwords and insight relevant to the sector you’re applying for – that way, hiring managers and recruiters can see that you have the potential to work in that particular industry one day.
- Put Together Your Portfolio
Potential employers will likely ask for evidence of past work projects. For example, if you’re wanting to pursue a career as an artist, museums or galleries will want to see samples of your artwork (drawings, paintings, installations, etc).
Portfolios can be physical (such as a folder containing photocopies, newspaper clippings, etc, which is handy if you want to show it to hiring managers or recruiters at a career fair) or digital – in the case of the latter, most people use platforms like Wix.com or WordPress to put together blog posts or galleries containing their work. Remember to keep updating your portfolio as you go along – a prize-winning still-life portrait from high school is an accomplishment, but you want to showcase your growth and development by including information about the mural you created for your Fine Arts university showcase.
- Write an Effective Cover Letter
A cover letter not only showcases your keen interest in an internship, but it also shows potential employers that you’re passionate about the industry you wish to work in.
When writing a cover letter, show them that you have some knowledge about the company; briefly discuss your work experience and how it’s prepared you for this internship; explain why you think you’re the right person for this internship and how you’ll contribute to the company; finally, thank them for their time.
With each internship you apply for, remember to customise the cover letter appropriately – for example, a recruiter at a publishing company may be confused at receiving a letter about your interest in working at a food manufacturing firm!
- Clean Up Your Social Media Accounts
Your CV, portfolio and cover letter may convey your interest in marketing and advertising; however, your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts will most likely convey your colourful thoughts about the latest celeb scandals and your least favourite politicians.
Hiring managers and recruiters who conduct additional research will likely check your social media accounts, which could mean the difference between hiring you as an intern or rejecting you. Polish your online image by deleting or hiding inappropriate or unsuitable posts; update your profile pictures so that they’re clear, visible and suitable for work; update your LinkedIn page, and use it to follow professionals and companies in your chosen industry; deactivate any accounts that you no longer use but are still accessible (and may contain offensive content).
It takes a lot of time, patience and energy to clean up your online image, but it’s worth the hassle if it means getting your name out there.
You’re On Your Way!
Once your applications are accepted, you will either jump straight into your internship of choice right away or partake in a minor interview so that your employer can get to know you better.
Don’t give up if you get rejected the first time around – there are other opportunities out there, and if you’re determined and eager enough, you will land the most suitable internship, which could help you land the job of your dreams. Good luck!