Should I apply for big company internships if I don't have previous internships relating to it?

Yes! You should always apply do something that you want to do because if you don't you'll be limiting yourself in the present and the future. What you can also do is try to find someone that is at Sotheby's to conduct an informational interview with so that they can help you indirectly craft your cover letter for the application. The reason I say indirectly is that you don't want to outright say can you help me with this but if you can ask a person what you think would be good questions that would help glean insights for you on how to conduct that. Fun fact about informational interviews is that most people love to talk about themselves and what they do!

Absolutely. Your interest in the company and product will be appreciated and if you have passion for the industry, the company and the product, your enthusiasm will be noticed.

Be willing to learn everything you can learn, ask for the position where you think you would be most helpful or have the most interest in. Do not limit yourself in any way. Learning anything will require that you like the subject.

You will acquire experience as you work with them. And from the inside you will be able to absorb the most important aspects of the industry. In 5 years you will be guiding others trying to get in.

be reliable, do everything that is asked of you and always ask questions about why somethings are done.

Just wanting to be there is enough, but you need a few more personal and character skills. Be there - Be on time and do your best.

Sothesby or any other company always need a good pair of hands and a good head.

Let me know if this helps OK?

When I wanted to be close to horses, and wanted to learn how to ride. (I was afraid at first)

All I had to do is walk into the office and ask for a job there.

In three months I was the guide and in 6 months I was able to manage the office.

Yes! My one piece of advice is to work hard to build relationships with people that can advise and educate you along the way. These mentors will help you well beyond your first interview and chances are you’ll help them learn along the way too.

Dont fall into the trap of applying online and waiting for a response. As folks stated above, you’ll distinguish yourself by putting in the time to demonstrate your genuine passion for the roles you seek.

Hi Tanya,

I think you should apply for an internship that you consider interesting or important for your future career (or even for your own development and learning experience). Even if you don't have previous experience in the same area, you would be surprised to see how many companies wish to get fresh views during these internships they post. And, as mentioned by other people that offered you advice, not trying is not an option for positive results.

When applying just mention why you consider yourself fit for the internship and how, not having previous experience, would still make you a great contributor (based on other experiences or education or personal interest).

Big or small, companies look for dedicated, quick learning interns - so, just Go for It! And the experience of applying is good in itself - you learn how to position yourself vis-à-vis the job you wish to get.

Lavinia

Yes. You should always apply. In the word of Wayne Gretzky "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."

Even if you are not successful in the end, you get the experience of practicing the application and (hopefully) interview process with the company, and you might get another opportunity to apply again in the future.

Every time you apply and interview you get valuable practice and you learn more about the job market.

Good luck!

Yes, it's a great idea to apply to internships that are in your area of interest even if you do not yet have experience. Most internships are geared towards students like you who want to get started and don't have any prior experience.

I would add to the previous advice that even though you do not have experience in this field particularly, think about how you can craft your cover letter/resume and overall interview story to apply to the position. For example, you may not have any experience in business development, but say you're on the debate team. In this example, you have developed the key skills to arguing a business case, which is a key part of business development. You can take your existing experience and apply it to the skills you'd need on the internship, and convince the team that while you don't know this industry or position yet, you're uniquely qualified to learn it and learn it quickly.

Yes, having a diverse background in your internships will be helpful wherever you find your first career move. It will help you find what you're passionate about, develop a different skill-set and diversify your professional network. It will also help you decide what you do not want to focus on long term and guide you in the right direction.

Yes, always apply for what you want. It's a bit of a numbers game sometimes. Even if it's out of your league, it can't hurt.