Most people know that to get a job, you need experience, and internships are a great way to get marketable experience. This is the story of what I did, as a Communications and English double major, to find two internships in the past year. I worked as a
Communications Intern at the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental
Disabilities (BPDD). I helped out with their press releases, social media,
email alerts and website. I currently am interning at the National Kidney
Foundation of Wisconsin (NKFW). I am helping organize their Capital
City 5K Run/Walk that is happening
in Madison. I hope my experiences
can help you find your very own internship.
Where to look:
I have used several different places to find internships. I
find that the more places you look, the more internships you will find that you
can apply for.
Websites like internshipprograms.com and internships.com
allow you to create a profile and search for internships based on location and
keyword. This is probably my least favorite way to find an internship, but I
found my internship with the BPDD through this method. What I did was I applied
through the website, as described in the listing. I have only applied for the
one internship with this method, so each listing may have different ways to
apply.
Twitter has different handles that only tweet internships.
Some that I follow are @InternMatch and @Internships. The problem I have with
this method is that not all of the internships are close to home, if that is
something you are looking for.
My favorite way to find internships is Big Shoes Network.
They have a website that lists internships in Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Illinois.
They send out emails that list new job opportunities, as well as internships
which can be found at the bottom of the emails. You can follow them on Twitter
at @BigShoesNetwork. All their internship tweets start with “COLLEGE STUDENTS,”
which is really eye-catching in your Twitter feed. I found my internship with
NKFW with this method. Generally each listing will ask you to email your resume
and cover letter with a specific subject. The instructions for each listing is
noted at the bottom of the page.
After you apply:
I like to keep a record of which internships I have applied
for, usually just saving the description in a folder on my computer. That way I
remember what each internship is expecting of me if I get an interview.
If you haven’t heard from the company, send a polite email
checking up on your status. For me this is the most uncomfortable part of the
application process, but it can be necessary. I learned this the hard way.
After I had already accepted an internship, I emailed the other ones I applied
to telling them that I was withdrawing my application because I had already
accepted another offer. I got an email from one place saying my application had
gotten lost, and that if I would have sent that email about checking up on my
application I would have gotten an interview.
Interviewing:
Unlike most people, interviews don’t scare me. I go into
most interviews pretending I am already acquainted with the person that is
interviewing me. This helps me keep relaxed and be personable. It makes me feel
more comfortable with the entire process.
Ask questions. It shows that you care about the position. An
easy question to ask is what is a typical day like in that office or that
position.
Prepare for questions you might be asked. Before my first
interview, I Google searched typical interview questions and thought of my
answers for some of them. That way I had examples and quality truthful answers
right at my grasp. Don’t rehearse too much that it is obvious, that doesn’t
make a good impression. You want to sound natural during the interview.
Do your research. If you know something unique about the
company that shows you did research, it usually makes a great impression. It is
also wise to know even the basics about the company you are interviewing with.
I have been asked if I was hired, what I would do under certain circumstances.
Knowing about the company can help answer these types of questions.
Dress to impress. No matter what the position is, I always
wear business casual to interviews. It shows you are serious about the position
and your professionalism. My dad was hiring a truck driver and he was impressed
when one showed up in, you guessed it, business casual. You just want to make
sure your wardrobe doesn’t outshine you at the interview. Keep it simple and
professional.
Other tips:
Everyone wants a paid internship. My philosophy is that to
get one of those nice paid internships, you have to get experience through one
that isn’t paid. It may suck to not get paid, but that experience that you will
(hopefully) be getting will be beneficial enough to get you that paid
internship or job.
Internships are how you get experience. You may feel
hesitant to apply for an internship because you don’t feel qualified. Apply
anyway. I wasn’t particularly qualified for my first internship, but I applied
anyway. Besides maybe getting the internship, it helps you practice your
interviewing skills and allows you to make sure your resume is always up to
date.
By Lauren Simonis, double major in Strategic Communications and English
with an emphasis in Creative Writing. Expected graduation: May 2014.
