Companies are overwhelmed by internship applications and there is huge competition for internships among students. So, as a student how do you prepare yourself?
Look for a suitable internship position
Take into account what you want to learn, what you want to achieve, and where your interests lie. Maybe you feel most comfortable in a team of a small organization with a family atmosphere, maybe you prefer to participate in a large team of an international players? What about your talents? Do you want to specialize through your internship, or do you want to expand your horizons and try something completely different?
Compile a list of options
Have you found your dream internship? Good, but also keep some backups on hand. You never know that your ultimate internship position is already at its intern limit or simply that the company got some other better applicants to choose from.
Search about the company
Have you found your dream internship? Then search thoroughly about it before applying. Do not only analyze the website, but also do a Google search. Find out if there are reviews about the work culture of the company. Check their social media presence. Are they active on Twitter? If so, can you deduce what they think is important? It is even possible that this way you find out what kind of people work there and that you can find out the company culture. These are all interesting things to know in advance so that during your job interview you know a lot beforehand.
Find out who to contact
Where are you going to send your application? There are chances that your application email goes under the pile and is lost. Try to find a direct contact within the department where you want to do an internship or contact the HR department. Sometimes you will find that information on the company’s website, otherwise, you can call the company and ask if you can have the contact details of the head of a particular department, or ask who you should contact.
Calling is your best bet, so they know your name, they know you are passionate, and they can’t pretend they missed your application. It is therefore recommended that you already contact the company or someone within the organization before submitting your application. This small form of networking can give you a step ahead of other candidates.
Personalize your CV and cover letter
A personal cover letter is essential. It’s your first contact with your potential employer, so you need to grab their attention right away. A little personal branding can’t hurt either. Do not let them think you are a robot sending the same email to every company. You can show some personality. Show your enthusiasm without exploding all over the email. Include why you choose this company and why they should choose you.
Many people don’t modify their CVs for employers, but it can help. One experience may be more important to one organization than another. Make sure the right qualities stand out. Have you done volunteer work that is important to one organization? Put it in the spotlight. Have you done a student job that brought you relevant work experience for a particular position? All your side jobs and side projects show commitment and passion, play that to your advantage.
Do you have a strong social media presence? Immediately add a link to your Twitter account or LinkedIn profile. Just make sure it’s a profile they want to find. So quickly check what you have posted and what your future supervisors will be able to see. Clean it up a bit if necessary. All of a sudden, do a quick internet search for your name and see what comes up. You know they are going to do it, so you better be ahead of them.
There are various advantages of an internship before embarking on a career
The internship represents a period of activity during which the intern puts the theory obtained during education to test it in a company. This period of work will allow the student to be able to have very often a first contact with the world of work or first contact with the profession or a branch of it, which he wishes to carry out in the future.
In reality, the intern should not be required to perform a regular daily task related to a workstation but rather to solve a problem related to the company and its environment. There are, of course, several advantages for the student such as: putting theory into practice in a real environment. Taking the transition between school and work and testing the choice of career. Creation of a professional network, acquisition of new skills, benefit from the experience of other employees, and the possibility of obtaining a work reference.
First of all, you will be able to benefit from an external and new experience with the company. Indeed, someone new within your company will become a contact for future reference. It happens that some companies are stuck in a daily routine that prevents them from evolving, which is why we believe that new talent also brings new energy to the company. Another advantage of recruiting an intern is the possibility of being able to develop projects put on hold due to a lack of resources. All of these benefits sometimes come at a cost, but a cost much less than that of an employee.
Despite all the advantages that an intern brings, there are also some disadvantages. First of all, it requires training the student and this training, therefore, requires a significant investment of time. On the other hand, the trainee may make one or more errors while performing the assigned tasks. One of the latest drawbacks cited by some organizations is the fear of having confidential information leaked.
