Internships during your college career are so important. They help to build up your resume, differentiate you from a crowd, and provide you with real life experiences. Follow these 8 crucial steps to getting an Internship in Communications at West Chester University. Get a head start on the competition!
Use your resources
West Chester University has so many avenues that are designed to help you find an amazing internship in your communications major. Be sure to USE YOUR RESOURCES. That is what they are there for! There is the WCU Communication Studies Webpage that has a specific section labeled ‘Internship Programs’ that show you many possible internships in the area and you can even get class credit for all of them! They also have social media pages that are informative and help you to navigate different internships and make connections with alumni. They have the West Chester University Communications Studies Facebook Page, a Communication Studies LinkedIn Group and the WCU COM Twitter page. Take advantage of the networking that is available to you. It will help you to expand your knowledge about career life and your interests.
Utilize your class assignments and professors
If you are a communications major and taking communication classes, you are already preparing for an internship in communications. The amazing thing about West Chester University’s communication classes are that aid in the transition between college assignments and ‘real job’ projects. Many of the classes are relevant to the updated world of communications. Classes like content strategy, strategic social media, and event planning especially. All of these classes utilize the world of media we all know and show you how you are able to incorporate that in your preparation for your career. Never get rid of your assignments that you turn in! Every media project, blog post, and website you design can be used in a portfolio.
Prioritize Deadlines
DEADLINES. You have had them since elementary school. Now instead of your weekly spelling due, its real applications. Prioritizing deadlines is so important to applying to any internship in communications. Don’t put all your focus into one job and apply there and wait. Make a spreadsheet of deadlines to different internships in communications that pique your interest. Be sure that you are applying depending on when their deadline is. By doing this you will be on top of every job where you aspire to work.
Always have your resume ready
Your resume is where you list out all of your accomplishments and whatever you think will help you to look prepared for an internship in communications that you are applying for. Use the career center as your main resource. You don’t even have to make an appointment, you can just email them your resume and they will get it right back to you completely edited. Be sure to be constantly updating your resume anytime something changes so that you are always prepared with an updated copy!
Prepare a cover letter template
Your resume is where you list out your accomplishments, but the cover letter is where you get to showcase your personality. Be sure to be professional, but also include information that will help you to stick out in a sea of applicants. Preparing a cover letter template will help you to apply to jobs faster, just leave specific parts empty and fill them in depending on which job you are applying to!
Practice Interview Questions
Always walk into interviews knowing your resume completely. Be able to elaborate and inform the interviewer about your accomplishments, that way you sound prepared and interested. Also be sure to practice talking about yourself. It is hard to do the first time around because you feel like it’s not normal. The interviewers genuinely do want to know more about you and this is your time to hype yourself up.
Incorporate business casual into your wardrobe
Look good, feel good. Time to put away your ratty sneakers and ripped shirts and start incorporating business casual into your wardrobe. Think about it early on so that you aren’t running to Target last minute to get an outfit! Having professional clothes in your wardrobe makes it easy for you to be ready for job opportunities at any moment. If you walk into a room confident and looking clean, people will respect you and believe in your competence.
Start Now
My last tip for you as you embark on your journey to get an internship in communications, is to START RIGHT NOW. I don’t care if you are a freshman, a senior in high school, it’s Summer, or you’re a senior. Just start right now, you can never be too prepared and you will definitely thank yourself later. Making tiny steps towards getting an internship in Communications now, will benefit you in the long run. Rather than rushing around trying to get everything together when deadlines start popping up, start making moves and the only step you will have to do is apply!
