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Why are internships so how to find?
Try to find interesting and fun internships around me, but had no luck.
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Dawnyale’s Answer
Hello Alesah,
I'm so glad that you're already looking for opportunities to gain some experience in something you enjoy. It can be a very tedious task to find just the right one at just the right time, but if you can find one that will merely give you experience in an area you have little in, it will likely be a game changer for you.
I would think about the skills you'll gain and the type of business you'll get exposure to if you look for opportunities that aren't of direct interest to you. Now, of course, you'll need to focus on experience that will help you in your chosen major, but you also want to think about the people you'll interact with who's expertise will be valuable to your career. For instance, if you're majoring in Communication Studies, a typical internship many of your peers may gravitate to could be in broadcasting and public speaking. However, consider alternate paths to gain the experience you'll need - maybe seeking opportunities in education as communicating with students and adults regularly will allow you to sharpen your skills constantly in order to stay on top of your tasks. Seeking opportunities with retail industries could also strengthen communication and interpersonal skills as there will be many types of personalities, skill levels and changes in priorities that will really allow you the chance to learn and grow. Of course your chosen field will likely involve different options, however exploring unconventional ways to gain the experience you'll need will not only show your ingenuity but your persistence in achieving your goals.
Now for where to find them. I always suggest starting with your network - ask your family, friends, teachers, etc. if there are any opportunities they've heard of or if they can put you in contact with someone who could use an intern. If you currently have a part-time job, talk to your manager or others in the company about opportunities that could be available there. I wouldn't rely solely on your own search when you likely have many people around you who can help you achieve your goals as well. How amazing would it be if a cousin, former manager or teacher knew of a company that needed your exact skill set and experience to thrive?
I hope this letter helped you a bit and I know you'll find your internship soon. When you do, pay it forward - if you found value in an experience, please do what you can to help future students who also face the challenges what you did. You never know how your tips and kind words can change the course of someone's life for the better.
Thank you, and good luck!
I'm so glad that you're already looking for opportunities to gain some experience in something you enjoy. It can be a very tedious task to find just the right one at just the right time, but if you can find one that will merely give you experience in an area you have little in, it will likely be a game changer for you.
I would think about the skills you'll gain and the type of business you'll get exposure to if you look for opportunities that aren't of direct interest to you. Now, of course, you'll need to focus on experience that will help you in your chosen major, but you also want to think about the people you'll interact with who's expertise will be valuable to your career. For instance, if you're majoring in Communication Studies, a typical internship many of your peers may gravitate to could be in broadcasting and public speaking. However, consider alternate paths to gain the experience you'll need - maybe seeking opportunities in education as communicating with students and adults regularly will allow you to sharpen your skills constantly in order to stay on top of your tasks. Seeking opportunities with retail industries could also strengthen communication and interpersonal skills as there will be many types of personalities, skill levels and changes in priorities that will really allow you the chance to learn and grow. Of course your chosen field will likely involve different options, however exploring unconventional ways to gain the experience you'll need will not only show your ingenuity but your persistence in achieving your goals.
Now for where to find them. I always suggest starting with your network - ask your family, friends, teachers, etc. if there are any opportunities they've heard of or if they can put you in contact with someone who could use an intern. If you currently have a part-time job, talk to your manager or others in the company about opportunities that could be available there. I wouldn't rely solely on your own search when you likely have many people around you who can help you achieve your goals as well. How amazing would it be if a cousin, former manager or teacher knew of a company that needed your exact skill set and experience to thrive?
I hope this letter helped you a bit and I know you'll find your internship soon. When you do, pay it forward - if you found value in an experience, please do what you can to help future students who also face the challenges what you did. You never know how your tips and kind words can change the course of someone's life for the better.
Thank you, and good luck!
Updated
Morgan’s Answer
Hi Alesah,
Your problem could be timing!
Most companies in the Bay Area, California (where I work) that have summer internship programs have a structured process for hiring their intern class. Typically, summer internships will be 10-week programs from June - August to accommodate for most university summer schedules. There could be a mix of undergrad or graduate level internships depending on the department (e.g. departments like strategy, product management, or product marketing tend to prefer MBA student interns). Hiring could be on a rolling basis, though most structured programs start interviewing at the beginning of the calendar year, so during the typical 2nd semester. Where I work, all of our interns were hired by the end of March / early April for June start dates.
Where to search:
- Create a list of companies you would like to work for one day, and look at their career or jobs page.
- Browse LinkedIn for "intern" jobs in your area
When to search:
- Start applying in January/February. When you see the volume of open intern roles on LinkedIn start to pick up, you may have more luck directly applying on company websites.
Pro tip:
- Try to find connections at the companies you're interested in for referrals. That should at least get you in the door for an initial hiring screen.
Create a list of target companies
Starting in January, look on the company career/job pages every couple of weeks for new intern job openings
Proactively reach out to the hiring department (HR, recruiting) to find out more information about their internship programs
Your problem could be timing!
Most companies in the Bay Area, California (where I work) that have summer internship programs have a structured process for hiring their intern class. Typically, summer internships will be 10-week programs from June - August to accommodate for most university summer schedules. There could be a mix of undergrad or graduate level internships depending on the department (e.g. departments like strategy, product management, or product marketing tend to prefer MBA student interns). Hiring could be on a rolling basis, though most structured programs start interviewing at the beginning of the calendar year, so during the typical 2nd semester. Where I work, all of our interns were hired by the end of March / early April for June start dates.
Where to search:
- Create a list of companies you would like to work for one day, and look at their career or jobs page.
- Browse LinkedIn for "intern" jobs in your area
When to search:
- Start applying in January/February. When you see the volume of open intern roles on LinkedIn start to pick up, you may have more luck directly applying on company websites.
Pro tip:
- Try to find connections at the companies you're interested in for referrals. That should at least get you in the door for an initial hiring screen.
Morgan recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Hi Alesah,
I'm curious what kind of internship you're looking for and what kind of experience you're trying to obtain. That may help with some suggestions. A few things to think about:
1. There are many ways to gain experience that aren't called an "internship." Maybe research volunteer, part-time job, shadowing opportunities.
2. Network - do you know anyone that works in the field you're interested in? Family members, friends' parents, etc? Sometimes students ask the people in their circles if there are opportunities they can take part in (i.e. if you want to be a pediatrician, talk to your own doctor's office).
I hope this helps!
Jessica
I'm curious what kind of internship you're looking for and what kind of experience you're trying to obtain. That may help with some suggestions. A few things to think about:
1. There are many ways to gain experience that aren't called an "internship." Maybe research volunteer, part-time job, shadowing opportunities.
2. Network - do you know anyone that works in the field you're interested in? Family members, friends' parents, etc? Sometimes students ask the people in their circles if there are opportunities they can take part in (i.e. if you want to be a pediatrician, talk to your own doctor's office).
I hope this helps!
Jessica
Updated
Atul’s Answer
You did not mention what areas you are looking for the internship.
Do you have a respectable Cum GPA.
Do you recommendations from your teacher?
Have you taken AP courses and have scored well in the subject where internship may be applicable?
What have you done to secure internships to conclude that it is very hard when employers begging for workers?
For instance: my son had taken Java Language in the high school and applied for an internship at a local high-tech company who was seeking Python language skills which he did not have. Because of his GPA and knowledge of computer programming he got the internship and they paid him well too.
Do you have a respectable Cum GPA.
Do you recommendations from your teacher?
Have you taken AP courses and have scored well in the subject where internship may be applicable?
What have you done to secure internships to conclude that it is very hard when employers begging for workers?
For instance: my son had taken Java Language in the high school and applied for an internship at a local high-tech company who was seeking Python language skills which he did not have. Because of his GPA and knowledge of computer programming he got the internship and they paid him well too.
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