How to land your first internship
By: Ellie Masters
Getting your first internship can be a daunting task for many college sophomores and juniors. You may not know what companies to choose and how to stand out to companies you apply for. I’m going to talk about my experience and what worked for me.
It starts with getting involved
I’m sure by now you have been told to get involved on campus. What they don’t tell you is to be mindful of how you get involved. I recommend trying out all the organizations that interest you in the beginning and then narrowing your organizations down by the end of freshman year. It is important to prioritize your time and put your energy into organizations you truly enjoy. By sophomore year, you may begin to look at taking a chair or small executive board position or simply to deepen your relationships with the members. When your junior and senior year roll around, you want to be in a position where you are eligible for the higher-level positions. By following this system, you ensure that you fulfill the requirements of being on the executive board and that your fellow members know and trust you. Some organizations, including the American Marketing Association, have requirements that you must have served on the executive board prior to applying for positions such as President and Vice President. You should be aware of these requirements early so they don’t stop you from getting great leadership experience.
Once you have joined and are participating in organizations you want to make notes of your experience. When you tackle something important, resolve a conflict with a team member, or are proud of an accomplishment (etc.) you should write it down somewhere like your notes app. This will make it easier to articulate your experiences during an interview when you are asked to recall past experiences. Try googling “most asked interview questions” and as you go through your college experience, make note of a story for each question.
Perfecting your brand
If you want the opportunity to impress recruiters, you must land an interview first. You can do this by working on your LinkedIn and resumé. There are a multitude of resources out there detailing the best way to structure both your LinkedIn profile and your resumé. Take your time on curating a brand for yourself. Your resumé should include many of the experiences you gained through getting involved and you can use your personal stories from above to help you.
Practice interview questions
Practicing before your interview may seem obvious but many people don’t do it. Make sure you have stories and experiences on-hand to pull from when you are asked behavioral questions. Google is a great resource for figuring out what they could ask you and how to be prepared. Your interview answers should be genuine and show a real understanding of the field and the skills you possess. Another important piece to practice is your answer to the “tell me about yourself” question. You will be asked this in most interviews as the recruiter wants to get to know you and allow you to share your background.
Narrow down your choices
It may seem like the best idea is to apply to every internship because you feel like you’ll land at least one. In reality, it is more effective to focus on a few internships you truly want. It can be helpful to make a list of the most important characteristics of an internship for you and do not compromise. Why waste your energy on an internship you don’t want? Once you have selected the companies you want to work for, reach out to their recruiters, sign up for their events, and search for possible links to their company. You never know when an Ohio State alum working at a company may be just what you need to get your foot in the door. My advice is to apply to the internships at the top of your list first and work your way down it (making sure to still be aware of deadlines). Once you receive an offer, you oftentimes only have a few weeks to accept or decline which is why it is important to apply to your favorite internships as early as possible.
Be yourself
Applying for internships is a stressful time in a college student’s career. However, you should remember that this process is about both you and the company finding a good fit. Be yourself in interviews and on your resume so you can find a company that matches your values and personality style. Take a breath, follow the path you enjoy, and you will find the internship that suits you.