The Secrets To Getting Your Dream Internship

By CC Staff

It’s internship hunting season and, thanks to the economy, it’s more competitive than ever. That means it’s more important than ever to make a really good first impression. Being that I spent the past week alone sifting through over 100 applications for CollegeCandy’s summer internship positions, I know a thing or twelve about what makes a successful application.

If you want to spend your summer beefing up your resume, learning the ropes and, most likely, getting someone else’s coffee, take a few of these things into consideration:

Stand Out.
Most internship coordinators receive a lot of applications, making it incredibly difficult to remember every single one they looked at. If you want to be remembered, you gotta stand out.

Resume Do:
Move away from the traditional/boring resume format and try doing something a little different. (You can find ideas online.) I once received a resume that had a great pop of bright green on the top and a very simple green line down the left side. Three years later, I still remember that applicant.

Resume Don’t:
Say something stupid. My friend was recently reading through internship applications for a position at her advertising firm. Under “interests” one applicant listed: “Facebook creeping, collecting bar wrist bands, and beer pong.” Not only was she under 21, but she was completely unprofessional. Yes, she was trying to be creative and stand out, but this was clearly the wrong way to do it.

Cover Letter Do:
Writing cover letters is annoying, yes, but they are incredibly important. Don’t just copy and paste a generic cover letter and send it out to every job you are applying for. We aren’t stupid and it makes us feel like you really aren’t that serious about the position.  Take some time and think about the company, the job and the industry, and tailor your cover letter accordingly. Also, a little anecdote at the beginning can go a long way in getting someone’s attention.

Cover Letter Don’t:
Reiterate everything that we already saw on your resume. If we wanted a list of your accomplishments, well, we’ve already got that. Also, don’t send it without spellchecking first. Seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many cover letters (for writing positions!) I’ve read with glaring errors.

Be Professional:
No matter the company culture, you must act and dress professionally. My advertising friend (again) recently interviewed a potential intern who showed up wearing jeans and Uggs. UGGS! While the ad industry may be more laid back than most when it comes to attire, it is totally unprofessional and disrespectful to show up in the same clothes you wore to class.

Prepare for the Interview:
Beyond just coming up with your biggest personal flaw and memorizing all the skills you’ve acquired from previous positions, spend a bit of time learning about the company and all of their accomplishments. This not only shows the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in the company, but can also be very flattering for them.  While most people won’t admit this, flattery often does go a long way.

Send a Thank You Note:
We don’t want anything sappy, cheesy or fake, but simply dropping a quick thank-you email a few days after an interview not only shows us respect, but also gets you back fresh in our minds. And after interviewing 6 other people since we spoke to you, that could be the difference between getting the coveted internship and ending up in the forgettable pile.