The Internship Search: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Application and Search tips)

Originally published on my other blog, The Benchwarmer's Almanac, I figured this article had a place here on Historically Accurate as well. 

It's become increasingly clear in today's job market that in order for a young person to get a decent job in their field of study when they graduate, they have to complete at least one internship (but preferably more) during their college years. With the increased emphasis that's being placed on completing internships, many of them have become even more competitive than many jobs. I found out that two internship programs I applied to received nearly forty applications for one position and over eighty applications for a program offering six positions. Yeah, I figured it was time to fill out some more apps after finding that out...

"I NEED THAT INTERNSHIIIIIIIIIIP!!!!" The modern
internship search has become akin to a Black Friday sale.
Photo from the Daily Mail.

That being said, internships can be a really rewarding experience. Beyond completing some impressive projects to display on your resume, being an intern can give you a unique insight into what working in your field of study and/or career of choice entails. If you've been in college for any amount of time, I'm sure you've come to realize that it can be extraordinarily frustrating to be forced to choose a major and career when you really have very little clue whether you're suited to it or would enjoy that sort of work. Internships let you immerse yourself in the type of work environment you could expect to be a part of and complete some of the tasks you would face daily without having to commit permanently to that position. If you hate the job, you can walk away after ten weeks and get a change of major form from the registrar. It's frustrating to have a dream shot down and to seemingly have wasted a thousand hours of your time, but you'll have saved yourself a lot of frustration had you actually gotten the job.

Beyond the obvious work experience, doing an internship helps you build your professionalism and learn to interact with coworkers and bosses in an appropriate manner, as does the application process. It's extremely frustrating to fill out large amounts of paperwork and draft a dozen cover letters and go through the stress of an interview only to get maybe one or two replies (if you're lucky), but you hone your writing and verbal communication skills, learn to communicate professionally, handle yourself well in an interview, speak to your strengths without outright boasting, deal with rejection and still persevere, and write appropriate emails. This gives you a huge insight into the job search process and you can make any mistakes on the amateur level so you don't cost yourself a job when you really need one by making a rookie mistake like forgetting to change the organization or company name in your cover letter. The experience of applying for and working in internships will give you a leg up over fellow graduates when it comes to applying for jobs or even graduate school.

I think it's also worth mentioning that internships can give you really cool opportunities to experience life in another city or region of the country and to boost your self-confidence in your professional and academic abilities and make you feel better about graduating and living on your own in the looming future. The one internship I completed where I lived in a different place was really rewarding.

Personally, I've applied for internships about four times now, as well as some real jobs in between. Some rounds have been more successful than others. The major lessons I've learned have been the following:

1. Start looking and working on applications EARLY!!! I'm talking start looking over winter break! I have seen internships with deadlines for applications for the summer months as early as December 31! Most paid internships have deadlines of early February, March, or at latest early April. The years I started looking over winter break were the years I did the best and I've come across some really cool internships only to find the deadline had passed.
2. Get volunteer or work experience during the school year. I happened to see a really interesting listing for a volunteer internship my senior year of college that ended up being a really great work experience in the field I went into. I got a great reference letter as well as work experience for my resume and I think it's a big part of why I got a paid internship after my sophomore year of college. If you are in high school, get plugged in at a nearby organization! It will pay off. If you're in college and don't have time for a job, try finding a place in town or on campus to work or volunteer. I wish I had done more of that. Any work experience when you're young is valuable since our resumes are skimpy and contacts few.
3. Keep a list of internships you find. Of course, it's wise to keep a list of what you're applying for and what materials you need and whether you've gotten them in. But also keep a list of internships you come across that have passed deadlines or just don't work for this summer so that you can come back to them in the future. It will save you time in future searches!
4. Look for programs with defined goals. If you're worried about become a coffee runner for the summer, try and limit yourself to applying for internships that are part of clearly defined programs stating expectations for the intern and potential projects, that way you know they are actually looking for somebody to help and they won't just pass you around from one supervisor to another. 
5. Don't limit yourself to paid positions. This was a mistake I have made this year. It can be intimidating to think about going an entire summer working forty hours unpaid, especially if you have to relocate and pay out of pocket for living expenses. You should definitely apply for paid positions, but don't rule out unpaid ones or even volunteer work since paid positions are the most competitive.
6. Be creative in your search. It will be a long search...I spent hours and hours looking for places. Try local organizations or businesses as well as more famous ones you have always been intrigued by. Another gold mine can be the academic department websites of your college or other institutions. They often list potential internships and describe the past experiences of students in their departments. Then there are job posting websites like indeed.com and internships.com and sites specific to your field. (Example: National Council for Historic Preservation has a job listing site for museum and history jobs)
7. Have people look over your application materials. Take advantage of on-campus resources and career center activities to polish your resume, cover letters, and interviewing skills. One typo or a sad resume can land your hours of hard work in the trash without a second glance. Even if you don't have a ton of work experience, career experts can help you play to your strengths and market yourself to look like a million dollar candidate. Writing resumes and cover letters is a strange art so it makes a huge difference to have someone who knows what they're doing help you!
8. Don't undersell yourself. Really work hard on your application materials. I know it can be hard to focus on them with so much going on (another reason to start working on things over break even if it's just a generic cover letter that you can personalize later once you find internships) but set aside time at a time of day when you work best. Consider it another homework assignment. Also, go through the internship listing and write down the qualities they are looking for in a candidate, the experience they expect, and the projects they want you to complete. Go through each one and write down what skills, experience, training, and passion you have that speaks to that need of the company's. Be sure to incorporate each of these points into your cover letter, even using their same language and incorporating buzz words that they use a lot. For example, when I apply to work at small organizations dedicated to preserving a town's history, I might simply slip the term "preserving local history" or mention that some of my work experiences helped me to "appreciate local history". It can be as simple as that to show that you are keyed into the organization's mission and in line with their goals. 
9. Do your research. Read about the organization on their website. Tailor your cover letter to the specific position. If you get an interview, read through the organization's mission, history, and website before you go in. I think I have lost some potential jobs because I wasn't that familiar with the organization. They want to see that you took the time to learn about them, that you're really committed to the internship, and that you put the effort into your application. 
10. Always proofread emails and respond within one or two days. Be polite, thank the person 

    

    Typos can do significant damage to your cause. Photo from
    The Editor at Large.

    for their help and time, check for grammar errors or typos, make sure there aren't any tacky signatures (such as sent from my iPhone...you can manually erase this or change the settings so it never shows up). Any mistakes or unprofessional behavior can hurt your chances. No need to obsess over emails (I tend to!) but just take the time to think through the text and look over what you've written, even getting a second pair of eyes to revise.
11. Get letters of recommendation. Ask former supervisors or teachers who know you well to write a letter for you, giving them ample time, of course. When you leave a job, including an internship, ask for a letter of recommendation. Someone did this for me without my asking and I am forever grateful! It may feel selfish to take up their time, but the job market is a lot like karma: people realize they all need to help others get positions just like people helped them. Also, they want to be able to point to past students or interns and say they went on to do even greater things! So don't be afraid to ask for a form letter or for that person to be a reference. I often send along my letters of recommendation with my application materials even if the listing doesn't ask for them...It helps set you apart and attests to your abilities as a worker, which the cover letter and resume can lack. 

Don't get overwhelmed by your internship search. Kim never
got an internship either. Photo from Odyssey Online.

Good luck on your search! Don't overwhelm yourself or feel hopeless if you get rejected from many things - or even everything. That happened to me this year and in previous years. Once I even got all no's only to have two places call back right before the summer started and say they had changed their minds because the original top picks accepted other positions. Anyways, I've found that opportunities often don't work out for a reason and even though your path may not go the way you anticipated, it may take you down an unexpectedly exciting path! I started writing music my first summer after I began college because I had nothing to do. If I had had a job, I doubt I would have ever picked up that guitar! And sometimes you need to take time to unwind after a crazy semester. Even if you get a job or internship, try to build some time for your to relax during the summer. 

If internships don't work out, try just volunteering this summer (the path I have been relegated to after a four-month internship application process). It gives the same work experience, connections, and reference with less stress. Of course, it's helpful to make sure that the organization actually needs volunteers and to check what work they would actually have you do so you're not being treated with contempt (happened to me) or stuck stuffing envelopes at your own expense (happened to a friend). But their can be great volunteer opportunities if you find the right one. Don't be afraid to walk away from one if you start it and the people are nasty or the work isn't beneficial. Also, consider applying for spring or fall semester internships if you live close to any place that has one; they're much less competitive and often places that are virtually inaccessible during the summer months are begging for help during the school year.

All the same, I highly recommend applying for internship programs as a way to develop professionalism and familiarize yourself with the job search and application process! I personally feel a lot more prepared to apply for jobs once I graduate (or apply for grad school, which requires similar skills... writing a personal statement, securing letters of recommendation, interviewing) because I have already been through the process and worked out many of the kinks. 

In short...You can dooooo iiiiiit!