Whether you’re looking for your first internship or something to keep you busy over the summer, it’s important to go into the application process for an internship strategically. I have landed four internships during my time at Temple, and I’m going to provide you with 6 tips on how you can land an internship!
1. Make sure your resume is up to date
It’s really important to keep your resume up to date to ensure you’re highlighting all your skills and experiences thus far. Even if you’ve learned a small skill, put it on your resume! If you haven’t had experience, include relevant coursework you’ve taken that can make you seem more valuable to the employer.
2. Name drop!
Whether it’s in the cover letter or introduction email, it’s really important to include the name(s) of connections when you reach out to employers. For example, if you know someone who has interned at a place you want to work, let the employer know that you know them and how they encouraged you to apply! It never hurts to name drop, but be sure it’s okay with the person first.
3. Be formal in your introduction email
It’s important to be formal when making your introduction to the company you want to work for. Don’t use any type of slang, and try to use as few exclamation points as possible. This is essentially your first impression to the company, so it’s important to make a good one.
4. Look up common interview questions and write down your answers to them
I found that this really helped me when doing interview prep. It allowed me to not stutter nearly as much as I would have without the answers on hand. Brag about yourself a bit as well; show the employer how great you are and how you’re a great fit! Be sure to also write down questions you have for the interviewer or company in general. You may have to do some stalking to create these questions (i.e. looking at the website or the interviewer’s LinkedIn page).
5. Send a thank-you email after your interview
Once your interview is over, send a thank you interview to whoever you spoke with. Thank them for their time to speak with you and bring up what you enjoyed about the conversation you had.
6. Sharpen up on your grammar and writing skills for the writing assessment
Once you get past the interview stage, you’ll most likely have to take a writing assessment. This is really common especially if you want to go to an agency. Sharpen your grammar skills, practice writing press releases, and be sure to have Grammarly on! Take this assessment on the internet first so you have access to Grammarly; it finds grammatical and spelling errors for you that Microsoft Word might not catch right away.
This blog was written by Christina Billie, President.
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