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Finding that Perfect Internship

It’s a competitive world out there. You've got to fight for anything you want. You fight with your sis or bro for who gets first turn in the shower, you debate with the ‘rents for a later curfew. Well, get ready, the fighting doesn’t stop there. When you go after a career, you’re going to have to compete with several people wanting the same thing. Starting early with a good internship can give you the power to punch through the other applicants and get the job you want.

Why an Internship?

Working over summer or after a long school day sounds crummy, right? Hey, some internships pay, so you can get some cash together for stuff you want. If you need to work anyway, a job doing what you’d like to do later in life is way better than a position as Executive French Fry Thrower. Even if they don’t pay, internships are fantastic learning experiences (which will bring in the flow later in life) and can be a lot of fun.

Interning gives you the opportunity to do things you’d probably never get to do otherwise, like designing a Website for a big company or help write a press release thousands of people are going to read. Sounds great, right? If non-profit organizations need someone with your skills, check into donating your time in a volunteer capacity. Companies will be impressed by a good internship experience when you go for that first big job. You can also build references in the field that can back you with recommendations. Impressive interns sometimes get offered full-time positions by their internship company, so you could even have a job right under your nose. An internship makes your career field struggles much easier to win.

Tracking Down Internships

Getting an internship is like a practice bout before the main event. You’ll need to have some skills to offer employers, who want productive employees in exchange for showing you the ropes. Put together your Resume and even a portfolio of any school projects, courses, or independent work that shows you have some knowledge in the field.

There are several sources for finding companies that offer internships. Bulletin boards in schools and universities post opportunities, and your teachers or guidance counselors may have some companies who post their openings only through their office. Seen your older bro scanning the classifieds? Join him! A lot of companies post ops in them, as well as on the Web. Check out sites like Rising Star Internships, Internjobs.com, and InternshipPrograms.com, who permit you to post your Resume so employers can check you out before they get in touch with you.

Fancy footwork may be in order if other options don’t cut it. Tour local companies you’d like to intern with and see if they need some help. If non-profit organizations needs someone you’re your skills, check into donating your time in a volunteer capacity. It may not be a full-blown internship, but it could still give you great experience and look fantastic on your Resume.

Getting a Good Internship

Finding the right internship will bulk up your Resume' muscle-power, and knowing something about the company you’d like to work with gives you bargaining power in the interview. Walk in with a few questions in mind. Ask the interviewer about your specific job responsibilities. Having an internship that consists of doing meaningless busywork isn’t going to help you — you want work relevant to your interests. Ask about or try to meet the supervisor you’ll be working with during the internship, and talk to that person to find out how much experience they have or how long they’ve been in the field. This will clue you in on how much mentoring you’ll receive. Teaming up with a veteran of your career field will get you cool tips and tricks of the trade. Also get an idea of your employer’s expectations of you, how many hours a week you’ll be working, and how long your internship will run. You can get in over your head with internships that needed someone with more skills or require you to work too many hours. Most employers are willing to work with interns when it comes to scheduling and workload, so don’t give up if an internship looks a little overwhelming at first.

Being an intern is great exercise for getting a career. Once you’ve pumped up your Resume with good internship experience, you’ll be a big contender in the workforce.