My Tips for Applying to Internships
Over the last few years, I have been extremely lucky to have many incredible internships. I am a firm believer that hands-on experience is the best form of education and deeply value internship opportunities. However, navigating internship programs and applying to programs can be extremely overwhelming. Here are some of my tips and tricks to stress-free internship applications!
I have shared a blog post in the past on how to set up a LinkedIn profile, and I really believe that when you enter college you have to set up a profile! On LinkedIn you can set up job notifications that will go to your email every day with job openings that fit within the filters you set. I have found so many internships this way and the notifications help navigate the countless listings on LinkedIn.
How to set up a job alert on LinkedIn:
Go to the ‘Jobs’ tab
Go into the search bar and type in your key words (example: marketing internship)
Select your location (you can do cities, states, countries, and remote)
Locate the “Get Job Alerts” bar and click on
If you find a job on LinkedIn that you like but don’t feel ready to apply to, you are able to save it. The platform will routinely remind you of the listing until it expires or when you apply. You can simply do this by clicking the save option on a job listing.
If you have your sights set on working for a specific company, you can follow them on LinkedIn and turn on notifications to get routine updates not only on job opportunities, but on the status of the company!
Staying Organized
When applying to internships, it can become very hard to remember where and when you applied. For each semester I can apply to upwards of 15 internship programs! In order to stay organized I have a running list of internships I’ve applied to on my laptop with the date I applied and a note of the status of the application (accepted, denied, in interviews) so I can stay organized. By doing this, I can make sure I don’t double-apply to a program and that I don’t miss an application.
Knowing When and What to Apply to
While many companies host interns on a need-basis (something I think will become more and more popular), many companies have long-standing internships. I recommend taking a day to visit company’s corporate sites and finding any and all information they have on internship programs. Most websites will tell you what programs they offer, the requirements, and timelines. I have another list (I honestly survive off of lists) of internship programs I want to apply to with the dates their applications are open, this helps me navigate internship applications.
Coping
I would by lying if I said internship applications are 100% stress-free. Unfortunately, many companies never respond to your application and your left wondering if you will ever hear back, which can be discouraging. Getting rejected from programs can also feel extremely discouraging, I often find myself wondering if I’ll ever find a program. I personally cope with these issues by reminding myself that everything happens for a reason, and if I do not get an internship I wanted it is simply not meant to be. I also try to take breaks when I find myself applying to a lot of programs at once in order to not get too overwhelmed. If you have a career services center at your school, I highly recommend talking to their counselors about any questions you may have! I have also found that talking with my friends about applications has also been extremely helpful. Reminding yourself that you are not the only one struggling with applications can help get you through the stress.
What are your tips and tricks for internship applications?
