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Is it possible to get an internship at the end of the freshman year summer?

I'm a freshman majoring in computer science and economics. I'd like to do an internship this summer but I've heard that that's very difficult to get. What specific skills and classes should I take to help secure an internship in, e.g., a consulting company? #internships

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Arielle’s Answer

Absolutely! While it may be more difficult to obtain an internship as a freshman, there are some great companies who hire freshman or have leadership conferences that lead to post-sophomore and junior year internships. As a freshman at Indiana University, I obtained an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a globally recognized consulting firm. My freshman year internship gave me exposure to careers in consulting and the culture of PwC. I'd encourage you to utilize your school's career services office to identify opportunities. Also, use professional social networking sites, such as LinkedIn to find people in your career of interest to connect with and ask about internships.

Arielle recommends the following next steps:

Reach out to the your college career services office to identify opportunities
Create a LinkedIn account
Search for professionals who are in your career of interest on LinkedIn
Message and email professionals to set up informational interviews to find out more about your desired career path and potential internship opportunities
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David’s Answer

Absolutely. Internships require a lot of work to get but if you leverage your personal network, your school's network, or just gritting out searches on the internet, you can always land them. Starting early as you noted is key.

But remember that not all internships will be glamourous -- esp. if you're younger or have less experience to offer the employer.
Remember: You're there to offer something to the employer; the employer does not "owe" you anything but an opportunity to learn.

But as long as you take away 1-2 learnings from each internship -- however unglamorous -- you'll be on your way to that internship that will open doors for your first real job, career starters, dream job at the company you've always wanted to work for, etc. Slowly building your resume is key to making sure you stand out in a crowd as you near graduation and everyone is vying for the same number of positions.

Good luck and keep plugging away!
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