Author: Kristina Kaighn
So you’ve just changed majors, its your sophomore year of college, and you’ve realized that the path you’ve been on is not one you hope to end up on forever. If you’re anything like me, or millions of other college students throughout the world, you’ve gone through this dilemma before. Figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life is hard, but luckily that’s why the world has internships. Here are some key strategies you will need to use in order to score your first internship and get a jump start on your career.
1. Network
Use all of the possible resources that you can. Reach out to family and friends, reach out to friend’s family and family’s friends. Be sure to let others know that you are on the lookout and you need their help. 7/10 times, there is someone out there that is willing to help you.
2. Research, research, research
Be sure to do as much research as possible on the companies that you are interested in. Carefully look through their website, articles posted about them, and anything public with vital information on it. Get to know their mission, target audience, competitors, etc. Be sure to research key leaders of the company, and anyone that you will be in contact with during the interview process.
3. Watch for postings
There are plenty of websites out there that post internships multiple times a day, everyday. No matter what kind of industry you are looking for, they are out there, you just need to be aware of them. Be sure to Google as many job sites as possible, especially ones in your area of interest. Stay up to date on LinkedIn daily.
4. Be deliberate
Stay engaged and be sure to be persistent, but not too pushy. Keep your contacts updated at all times with your journey through interviews, etc. Sometimes life can get in the way and people forget to reconnect after an interview, always follow up with an email thanking them for their time.
