As the 2011-12 academic year winds down, a common task students are undertaking before heading off for summer is finding internships or jobs for the summer or next academic year — a task far easier said than done in today’s competitive job market.
Right now, finding a good job is a struggle, especially in the field you want an eventual career in after college. However, organizations are taking on more interns every year.
While you do not typically get paid much, if at all, while interning, they are great opportunities to gain valuable experience, and when applying for a paying position in your field of interest, having a useful internship on your resume is a huge advantage. In many cases, it is also possible to get course credit for doing an internship.
But internships are becoming highly competitive as well, particularly in Eugene, because of the huge number of students who want internships. Even so, there are ways to get an advantage over the other applicants.
First, visiting the career center on campus is a terrific idea. They have great counselors who provide resume and cover letter development along with interview preparation sessions. They are also a fantastic source to use when looking for internships you’re interested in and have weekly workshops to help you find them.
Another great way to find internships is through the UO-JobLink website, which allows you to customize your search to fields of work you are interested in. You can also go to the website of your academic major and search there for internship postings. @@http://career.uoregon.edu/about/programs/online@@
Before filling out the application for the internship you want, do some background research on the company you are interested in. This way you know what they do, what their values are and roughly what they are probably looking for in an intern.
Take that information and tweak your resume, cover letter and application to include things that would appeal to the person reviewing these documents. In all of these pieces, try not to focus solely on what you have done but relate your own experience and values to the company and how you feel you can make an impact.
Hilary Vos, a counselor in the Career Center, said, “The key to getting the internship you want is preparation. Doing the research on the company, tailoring a resume and cover letter for that internship and practicing interview questions are all great ways to give yourself an advantage.” @@http://career.uoregon.edu/about/staff@@
Once you get an interview and have practiced any anticipated questions, you are ready to meet with the interviewer.
Remember first to dress for success: Look professional. Think about bringing a pen and paper with you, along with a copy of your resume just as a reference to know what the interviewer has looked at.
Then just make eye contact, speak clearly and — most importantly — be yourself. The interviewer wants to know who you are and why you want the internship, so don’t lie or pretend to be someone else.
Getting a good internship is a great opportunity for students to gain experience and learn how to work in a professional setting. Once you are done and are looking for a paying job, having that internship experience can make all the difference.