On the other hand, internships provide an excellent opportunity to get experience in whatever field you’re interested in.
Through this article, I’ll tell you the most asked question of nowadays- “how to get an internship?”
1. What is an internship?
An internship can be defined as a short-term work experience offered by different organizations for students with less or no experience. It helps the candidates gain exposure and learn something new.
Internships are used for placements in various fields. They also help you explore new areas that you may find interesting, just if you want to switch careers.
There are two types of internships – paid and unpaid.
- Paid internship: They exist mainly in the private or large organization sectors that provide the students with money while working. Paid internships are in more demand nowadays as students want to be financially stable and get that extra money for their day to day expenses. With money, the organizations also provide the students with certificates and other perks. Generally, large and successful organizations are likely to provide paid internships because they’re financially stable and reputed market value.
NOTE: Some organizations also provide the students with a performance-based incentive. There’s no fixed stipend, and it entirely depends on the work quality of students how much they’ll get paid.
- Unpaid internship: In this type of internship, the organization doesn’t provide the student with money. Certificates, letters of recommendation, and other incentives are provided. Startups which are new to the market offers unpaid internship.
- Summer internships: These are usually eight to twelve weeks long and can be a part-time internship. Summer internships are generally taken for completing the credit of university students.
2. Why should you take up an internship:
As you’re in your college, you’re about to embark on your chosen career path. Here are some advantages of internships:
- Experience and Exposure: Often, recruiters look for candidates with experience and a good academic record. A student entering the workforce may find it challenging to tackle this new environment for the first time. So, internships provide a perfect platform to learn about it. One can get valuable exposure and learn how to handle this new environment with ease. Taking part in a real-time meeting and meeting real clients will give you a brief idea of the job.
- Making your resume strong: Job experience helps you to fill your resume with honesty and specificity. It will add the duties and knowledge to your CV and help you describe your motives and expectations for your job.
- Permanent job: If the internship provider liked your work, they might hire for a permanent position. Recruiters often use internships for hiring candidates. Internships also act as training for the job where you learn about the work and its environment. But even if the organization doesn’t provide permanent positions, you can always apply to other organizations.
- Gain confidence: When you work in an internship, it will build your confidence as you’re one step ahead of what you were earlier. Now you have that knowledge, experience, and exposure. You can apply all the attributes to your future employment.
- Mentorship: A proper guidance helps the person to succeed in any field of their lives. While interning, you interact with your colleagues, and you’re senior, which will help their experiences and mistakes, which you can avoid.
This was a description of the whole concept of internships, and it’s benefits.
Now, let’s get to the main question- “how to get an internship.”
Getting an internship can be an easy or difficult task depending on how you approach this issue. Here are some steps you can follow while applying to an internship-
A. Look for your qualifications:
Some students often misunderstand that they should apply to whatever internship positions that catch their eye to increase their selection chance. But this isn’t true. Instead, apply to the areas where your skills, qualifications, and education match. To simplify this further, here are some points you should consider:
- Consider your degree: Find career fields and job titles for people having your major.
- Think about your experience: A student should consider their past activities where they worked. It can range from anything from taking part in college MUNs to essay writing competitions.
- Find your skills: It can be anything like communication skills, time management, critical thinking, leadership skills, etc.
- Find your interests: Learn about your likes and dislikes, where you want to work, what kind of work you want, etc.
- Be realistic: It won’t happen at midnight! You’ve to be patient. Good opportunities come with time. So wait and work hard.
B. Prepare your application materials:
- Resume/CV: Resume is a brief description of your skills, qualifications, and educational background. Add your full name, your contact details, professional summary, and work experience also. If you’ve never written a resume before, don’t worry. Many online websites like Killerlaunch.com provide you with a virtual resume builder to build your resume for free.
- Cover letter: These letters add additional shine to your profile. Start with a unique opening line. Do some research about the organization you’re applying to, then write how you can benefit that organization by your work. Explain your previous works and your role in this job. Don’t forget to customize this cover letter for every new job letter you apply for.
- Social media profiles: Some recruiters use social media to know more about their candidates. So don’t forget to update your LinkedIn!
C. Start applying!
Now that your profile and research is completed, it’s time to implement it.
Many online sites provide you several internship positions.
I’ve made a list of them:
- Killerlaunch.com: It is an excellent platform where you can discover new internship opportunities daily near you. You can apply filters and find jobs are per your preference in whichever area you want to do.
- Indeed.com: It includes job listings from various newspapers, company career pages, associations. Indeed provides you access to multiple career opportunities in a single platform.
- SimplyHired.com
- Internships.com
- InterQueen
- Glassdoor
- CoolWorks.
These are some of the sites which considered best for students applying for the first time to internships.
D. Prepare for the interview.
Yeah, it is your first time but doesn’t get nervous. It won’t be intimidating at all; instead, you will face the real world. Before taking the actual interview, make sure to know about the company, its expectations, and the frequently asked questions. These are the tips for a successful interview and increased chance of selection –
- Be positive, and don’t panic!
- Be specific and straight to the point.
- Ask for time if necessary.
- Be yourself.
- Don’t be hesitant to ask questions.
E. Finalize the offer.
Once your interview is done, breathe, and relax. But don’t forget it’s just the starting of your work. You can write a great thank-you letter to the recruiter-
- Send it within a day.
- Thank the interviewer for their time.
- Don’t forget to mention what you enjoyed learning.
- Ask them to reach you if they have any further doubts.
Format:
Dear [recruiter’s name]
I hope you’re okay. I wanted to follow up on the [job title] role. I really enjoyed the meeting with you yesterday, and I’ll be glad if you give me a chance for this tremendous opportunity. I’d always be here if there’s something else you want to know during your hiring timeline.
Thank you
[Your name]
F. Work on it!
With proper hard work and luck, you’ll get hired as an intern shortly afterward. Most recruiters make it official by sending you an email and an offer letter. You’ve to reply to it within 1-2 hours to confirm your title. Before signing, make sure to read all the terms and conditions. Don’t forget to check the holidays, perks, incentives, and working hours.
Internships are an excellent opportunity if you want to explore more beyond academics. I hope this article solves all your queries.
Congratulations to you on this new venture, and all the best!
