How To Find Your First Internship
The first thing you would look for after completing your first year at a college is an internship. Because why not? It is very important to have something to experience while learning, and an internship is the best way to do so.
But if you are not sure how to find your first internship, we’ll help you out finding one.
How? By sharing some useful tips that one should follow in order to grab an internship opportunity at a company. So without waiting further, let’s get started.
5 Ways to find an internship opportunity
1. Being active on LinkedIn
When you get into a new college, it is very important to find connections that can help you land your first internship.
One of the best ways to get in touch with professionals from different companies is through LinkedIn. You can start by making a list of all the companies that interest you and then follow their employees on LinkedIn.
Sometimes some employees will post open positions and in that case, you can contact them for further guidance.
Moreover, you can list your interests, pass through several tests on LinkedIn, and add connections to reach out to the people who share similar interests with you.
This is my personal favorite way to get an internship, and I followed the same strategy to grab my first internship opportunity. Apart from this, LinkedIn helps you create a resume, a digital one, which can be easily downloaded and shared with the people who are willing to hire you.
2. LinkedIn job postings
Apart from being active by following people on LinkedIn, you can also find company profiles and look for the jobs that are open.
Sometimes companies mention internship openings in their job posts, so it is important to check them out as well.
3. Career fairs
Career Fairs are a great way to meet recruiters and discuss your interests with them. This will not only help you learn more about the different career paths but will also give you an idea of what qualifications companies expect from candidates applying for internships at those companies.
This is highly beneficial as career fairs happen only once or twice a year and you might miss out on some really good opportunities if you don’t now.
So try and attend as many career fairs as you can, this way you will not only be able to grab an internship but also learn more about yourself.
4. Internship portals
You may find different internship websites by simply searching online or through the college website list. These websites act as a medium between students and companies for internships.
So if you are looking for opportunities, make sure to visit these websites often and keep checking them to find the best ones that suit your profile.
5. Your college network
The best way to find internship opportunities is through your school friends and alumni. Many times companies give out internships at their office or work location that the students of that college will get first preference over others.
So it is always recommended to keep in touch with your professors, teachers, alumni, and even current students so you can receive constant updates regarding new internship openings every now and then.
6. Your own research
Internships are not always posted online or made public, so it is very important for you to do some groundwork.
You can contact companies directly and inquire about internship possibilities, this will give you direct access to the company.
So start collecting names of your favorite companies that interest you and then request them about internship opportunities.
This is one of the best ways to get internships without actually looking for them, so try your best and see what happens.
7. College guest speakers
If you have a speaker from any company coming to your college as a guest, make sure to attend their sessions as they can offer internship opportunities as well.
This is one of the best ways to get internships if done properly because companies do not always post their openings online and recruiters don’t want you to approach them directly.
So reaching out to the companies directly through guest speakers is a great way to get your name noticed and shortlisted for future opportunities.
8. Applying randomly
This is not something you should do immediately because it may cause a rejection in your profile, but if you have nothing much to lose then applying blindly can never go wrong.
So give this a try if you have the time and patience to wait for replies from random companies because it can never hurt your chances of getting noticed.
Just make sure you tailor your resume according to the company’s culture and hiring pattern so that your profile receives a fair chance over others.
Conclusion
According to me, the above-mentioned tips will make it easier for you to find your first internship. You can even use some other sources online or from your friends and alumni to gain more information.
So keep a watch over all the opportunities coming your way and take full advantage of them because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you cannot get anywhere else.
