Landing the Right Internship for You
Spring is among us and summer is right around the corner. It’s time to put yourself out there and figure out what you want to be when you grow up, college finals are approaching and declaring a major has already been established, internships give you the opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and guidance as to what you REALLY want to do once you graduate.
There be several ideas and interests you’re at a crossroads with and getting an internship for the summer will give you the opportunity to test the waters of what you think you really want to do. How do you go about finding the best internship for you and how do you stand out from the rest of the candidates?
Four Quick & Easy Must Do’s:
1. Do your research and take the time to make notes – get to know the company background, leadership, history, innovations, top clients (if you’re able to research them). For publicly traded companies, check out their Investor relations page, often times the annual reports and quarterly earnings are full of valuable information regarding where the company’s vision is heading, financial stability/growth. I have a great template to use, contact me and I will send it to you personally.
2. Understand the competition – who are the top players in the industry and what makes each of them different? The company you’re applying for, do you know where they stand in the marketplace? If not, find out. How will your internship assist in beating out the competition and adding value to the business? Gaining insight into the market landscape will help you determine if it’s a going market to get into, or a declining and should stay away from.
3. Know your Why & What’s…
Why do you want to intern with the company of choice?
What makes you different from the rest of the candidates?
Why are you passionate about working there?
What do you want to get out of your experience?
4. Leverage your networking skills – network to have someone internally at the company of interest be a reference or warm introduction. If you need some pointers on how to network effectively, check out my blog post titled: The New Networking in Business.
You’re the bright, young future, any company would be lucky to have you join them this summer!
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