Top Tips When Applying for Internships

One of the most important things that I have learned within my first year and a half of college is how crucial internships are when applying for jobs post-grad. Every student needs to have experience either job shadowing or through a paid internship in their desired career field. Here are some of the top tips I gathered after applying for internships over the past few months.

Image retrieved from Chegg.com

1. Have an updated resume and cover letter.
An employer's first impression of a potential employee is their resume and cover letter. Both documents need to be clear, concise, error free, and highlight your most important qualifications for the job. The reason that a resume and cover letter need to be as updated as possible is because the employer needs to know how experienced you are. If all you have listed is experience from over a year ago, they are going to assume that you haven't done any work since then. Having a resume and cover letter that stands out to employers will make you outshine from the other candidates.

2. Understand the position you are applying for.
It is very easy to glance over a job description and not read all of the qualifications. When applying for internships, make sure you really read what the job is. You do not want to apply for a position that wouldn't make you happy and you do not want to accept a position that you are completely clueless about. An employer will know in the interview whether or not you understand the job description, so make sure you read before applying.

3. Be prepared for rejection and no response.
I have currently applied for about 16 internships for the summer of 2020 and have heard back from about half of them. Granted there is still time before the applications closes, it is still unnerving to be waiting around for even a "no." Be prepared for many "no's" and many unanswered questions when applying for internships. That is why it is so important to apply to many in hopes of having more of a chance of getting accepted.


All in all, the internship world is very competitive, but everyone is capable of succeeding as long as they stay organized, are aware of what they are applying for, and are mentally prepared for the potential outcomes.


Related Article:
Top 5 Things to do When Applying for an Internship