How To Find An Internship: A Step-By-Step Guide For Students + Top Tips
During our formative years, we have always been reminded that getting a college education is the final goal before stepping into adulthood. From forming personal bonds with new and familiar faces, it is an exciting time for any student to have a taste of adulthood while still having access to the safety net of our parents and friends.
Internship is a part of any college education curriculum. It has been called by other names such as On-the-Job Training (OJT), Practicum, Apprenticeship, and many more. But how to find an internship you want and more importantly, how do you assess one?
Also read: Want To Get Hired? Follow These Sample Resume Formats For Fresh Graduates
What is an Internship?
It is a program to test the skills you have learned during your course of study on real-world applications and assess how far you've come along just before you finish your education and graduate.
An internship is a study-work program that provides a professional learning experience for a college student. Depending on the industry and the employer, some offer unpaid or paid internships. The latter provides payment in the form of an allowance, similar to a paycheck. However, the value you get from an internship program is not just extra money in your pocket — it's the experience you can gain from completing the program.
Your course of study may require you to complete a predetermined number of working hours for your internship program. In a way, internships are like a precursor to your first-hand job hunting experience that can set the tone for your career.
Additionally, your work as an intern will be assessed by your peers, co-workers, and supervisors based on your work performance and the valuable contribution you have made to the organization. During the internship program, you are treated as a junior team member that works on tasks that help the company achieve business objectives.
Benefits of an Internship
Along the way, with the help of your colleagues, you have the opportunity to:
- Learn valuable, transferable skills
- Form business relationships with co-interns or professionals
- Ultimately, start your career of choice
That being said, internships are a very exciting phase in your college education. It's a great way to test your mettle on what you have learned and create self-awareness of what other job skills you may need to learn just before you complete your college education.
Where do I find internships?
Just like any work opportunity, internships can be found in platforms such as Jobstreet. Another way to find a list of available internships can also be done through your college guidance counselor or college professors. Some schools partner with several corporate entities in their internship program so their students can have their pick of industry and internship jobs. You may want to ask guidance from your school to determine the right internship for you.
How do I prepare for an internship?
Yes. It's always better to come in prepared. Treat your internship as a job application. School internship programs may differ on how they are conducted. Here's a quick checklist of what you may need.
- Prepare a resume.
- Write a cover letter. Click here to download our letter template.
- Get a letter of introduction from your guidance counselor or internship program director.
- Prepare your school documents such as transcript of records, birth certificate, school ID, and other related documentation your employer may require as part of their application process.
Where and how can I find internships?
Here’s some basic steps you need to take to find internships and how to apply:
- Take stock of which industry you want to work in and list them down
- Conduct some research on the top companies that excel in the career path of your choosing.
- Check with your guidance counselor or program director if they have existing relationships with these employers and if they accept interns.
- Have a look at the qualifications needed by the employer and see if you are the right fit for the internship position.
- Once all this is said and done, all you have to do is reach out to the employer (and maybe your guidance counselor or program director) and inform them of your intent to apply in their internship program.
What should I expect once I find an internship opening?
Just like any job seeker, you may have to go through a series of interviews and perhaps a basic skills test to assess if you are a good fit for the company's internship program. The openings may be limited so you might want to conduct yourself professionally to get yourself hired as an intern.
While you think you may have the skills, some companies also look out for candidates that are willing to learn and have the aptitude to learn new skills. Remember, take your interviews seriously and you might just get the internship that can help you on the right career path.
What happens during an internship?
You can expect to learn more about the organization you are taking your internship with. They may highlight their company values, provide you information on the tasks you will conduct, and the company policies you may need to adhere to.
Some companies provide equipment to their interns, in case they don't, you may use your personal laptop or desktop computer. Additionally, this would be a good time to separately organize your personal stuff from your internship work. This will help give you an idea how the work-life balance concept works once you have more experience as a salaried employee.
How can I make a good impression with the company using my internship?
Having a great set of helpful skills is good to have in an internship. Displaying a great attitude towards work and learning to have a good work ethic is even better. This would be a good chance to set yourself up for success by training yourself to know more about how to approach the work-life balance you have probably heard about. You can also check out our 6 tips to help you succeed at your internship to learn more.
What lessons should I take away after completing my internship program?
Most internship programs ask employers to rate the work of their interns as part of their curriculum at the end of the internship. This would be great feedback to learn where you stand as a future professional. Additionally, some internship programs ask you to document your internship experience for self-assessment. This can create self-awareness which could benefit you when you graduate and start looking for opportunities to start your career.
Take the feedback and self-awareness to heart. This would be a boon to give you a head start on skills, approach, and attitude. It would be a good gauge to highlight details that you can improve on just before you take on life's next milestone.
#SEEKBetter internship opportunities
This guide can set you in the proper direction so your hunt for the right internship won't be a nightmare. You might be overwhelmed by the number of choices or might find difficulty in finding the best fitting internship to match your goals.
To best help narrow down your choices, #SEEKBetter by searching the available internships on Jobstreet.
But first, sign in or create a Jobstreet profile. This will give you access to up-to-date information to Career Advice with several tools to help you seek the best opportunities to hit the ground running in starting your career.
You can also download the Jobstreet app on your mobile phone from the Google Play or the App Store.
