Seven Tips to Find a Great Fall Internship

People today are more educated and skilled than ever, and the result is a job market that’s extremely competitive. Every time fall comes around, it’s time for a new generation of young professionals to seek out an internship that could serve as the springboard to a successful career. However, even earning selection for an internship is far from easy in today’s marketplace. Set yourself up to succeed with these seven tips on finding a great fall internship.

How to Find a Great Fall Internship

There’s a lot that goes into finding the right internship. It’s important to make it clear that you’re the best candidate and to reflect that in your resume, interview, and online presence.

Set Your Sights on the Right Internship

Before you can find a great internship, it’s necessary that you understand which internship is right for you. There are countless big companies in numerous industries that each offer their own internships, and you shouldn’t just hope for any old internship to come your way. Select a few that seem appealing to you, and then tailor your approach to those internships.

Do Your Research

Knowledge is a powerful tool in your search for the ideal fall internship. By narrowing your field to a few internships that interest you, you can research the companies and find out all sorts of useful information. Identify the unique, contemporary needs of the companies that you want an internship in and build your approach around meeting them. Creating a compelling case for your ability to help the company succeed is the best way to win an internship.

Present Your Best Self

Getting an internship today is all about standing out from the crowd and being even better than the competition. Show that you have the skillset and education to back up your goals and that this internship isn’t just something you want, but that the company itself needs you. If you can convince the company that they’ll benefit from taking you on, the rest has a way of falling into place.

Let Money Sort Itself Out

People are often understandably concerned about whether an internship is paid. While receiving compensation is ideal, the best way to get a paid internship is by not worrying about money. Your focus should be in showing companies that you want to work with that you’re truly indispensable and have real value to bring to their organization. Any good business appreciates that people are a valuable asset, and if you focus on proving your value, they should be eager to compensate you.

Brush up on Your Interview Skills

Interviews are the make-or-break moment that all of your preparation builds up to. This is naturally stressful, which can often compromise your performance in an interview. However, the challenges of an interview are all things that you can alleviate through preparation.

Run yourself through common interview questions, rehearse, and otherwise practice frequently so that you give yourself the best shot at success. Go over your research and the core idea behind your pitch until you know the ideas, figures, and key points by heart. If you do this, you should be able to give a glowing performance in your interview.

Network

Networking and increasing your visibility in the industry that you want to join is one of the most important steps to getting a great fall internship. Platforms such as Linkedin and websites that are dedicated to connecting interns to internships will help you build connections and reach the right people.

Ask for an Internship

It’s surprising, but many people don’t necessarily ask for an internship even though they want one. They’ll network, strengthen their resume, do their research on the companies that they want an internship for, but they just don’t ask. Instead, they wait to be found but often go unnoticed. Asking for an internship can be difficult and the possibility of rejection can be a real blow to your self-esteem, but you need to face these things head-on.

If you’re well prepared with a strong pitch and an understanding of your own strengths, you should be able to ask for an internship with confidence. This ensures that you get noticed and improves your odds of landing that great fall internship that you’re looking for. You have to take some risks to succeed, and going out on a limb to ask for the internship you want will only be the first of many in your career.