GETTING YOUR IDEAL INTERNSHIP - Universum

Getting Your Ideal Internship
CHAPTER 1
Internships:
The Big Picture
CHAPTER 2
The Search
CHAPTER 3
Getting Hired
CHAPTER 4
Navigating
Your Internship
CHAPTER 5
real intern
profiles
CHAPTER 5
For Your
Reference
Identifying Your
Ideal Internship
› There are several options for identifying
and securing internships. Whether you’re interviewing
through on-campus recruiting programs or using other
methods, you are ultimately your own headhunter.
Some companies with formal programs may not recruit
on your campus and others may not even have formal
programs, but you should still be looking at these
employers. In these cases, the path is similar to the oncampus
process, but you must initiate contact.
Dig Deep
You would not buy a car without doing research on
it. Treat an internship the same way. Unfortunately,
there’s no Consumer Reports for internships. The
company’s website will offer a basic outline with a certain
amount of hype; you certainly aren’t getting an
unbiased opinion.
Some assiduous digging can yield results. You
might get an idea of what to expect from a review on
Glassdoor.com, which provides an inside look at jobs
and companies, or a blog post. LinkedIn is a great
source for background checks, and so is your school’s
alumni database. With a little bit of initiative you
can turn these resources into veritable Wikipedias of
information about internships. When you target a
specific company, use the site’s search function to find
some recent interns within your network. When you
spot them, send friendly queries about their interning
experiences. Did they work on important projects?
Did they receive on-the-job mentoring? What was the
workplace atmosphere like? If the answers are “no,”
“no,” and “toxic and suffocating,” move on to other
employers.
Find a Mentor
A mentor can be an invaluable support in your internship
search. Through your personal network—friends,
family, previous jobs—you should find an experienced
person in you chosen field and cultivate the relationship.
A mentor, wise to the ways of the world and the
workplace, can help you realize your goals. She will have
ideas about which companies will make good targets for
your internship search. She also can serve as an example
of how success is achieved in your industry, set a benchmark
for the skills you’ll need, and provide insight on
how to avoid the typical pitfalls.
Your Homework Assignment
Research is the single
most important thing
you can do before any
interview. With so
many resources available—the
Internet,
career centers, career
fairs—there’s no
excuse for being
uninformed. But the
most critical part of
your research will be
contacting people
with experience in
the company and
within the field. Talk
to alumni who have
worked for your prospective
employer.
Meet with peers
who’ve done internships
in the same
target functional
area or industry.
They’ll help you pick
up the lingo and give
you a clear, insightful
understanding of
the industry and the
company itself.
Self-Assessment
Because internships take many forms, you should ask
yourself some hard questions before beginning your
search.
1. Your objectives:
• What industry do you want to work in?
• What kind of role do you see yourself filling?
• Do you want to work part time or full time?
• Do you need to be paid? Do you have a minimum?
• Do you want to work in a specific city?
• Do you want to work for an organization of a
specific size?
2. Your interests and abilities:
• What types of mental challenges do you enjoy?
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