Last Minute Internship Hunt TIps

If you don’t have an internship by now, you’re probably checking your inbox every five seconds waiting to hear some good news. Though it’s discouraging, all hope isn’t lost. Internships are a dime a dozen, from the smallest county newspapers to the biggest magazines in Manhattan. With a little persistence and a lot of patience, scoring a last-minute internship is totally doable.

By Khalea

Do your Research

If you haven’t created a profile on Internships.com or subscribed to Ed2010.com’s RSS feeds, do that right now. These websites have the inside scoops to the latest postings. Sending your resume when you’re ready to submit won’t get the job done. The trick is to submit your application at peak points of the day—early in the morning and before the lunch time rush. If you send it at the end of the day (or even worse, the end of Friday), hiring managers are less likely to look closely. It’s like when your professor starts saying something REALLY important with 3 minutes left in class. You and I both know that no one is listening. (Check out other job hunting mistakes right here)

School Connections

Visit your school’s Office of Career Development or the Career Services Center, every college’s center has a different name, but these centers have awesome resource to find internships. The professionals there can usually help you spruce up your uber-important resume and cover letter, too.

Friends and Family

There’s always somebody who knows somebody. Forward your resume and work samples to your aunts and uncles, cousins and friends at your place of worship. Ask them to pass on your information to their respective businesses —you already have one reference down! Internship hunting is no time to be bashful about any connections you may have. If you’re not using your Dad’s boss’s friend’s connection, someone else will.

Volunteer

Maybe the company you want to work for reached their intern quota—most large businesses have a certain budget for paid interns. If you still haven’t found a summer internship, offer any help you can. If a company takes you on for a stringer, they’ll see your potential and consider hiring you for the fall semester or even next summer.

Log on

These days, almost everyone has a blog or a website. There are many virtual internships available online. You can begin by contributing stories or research to a reputable website or maybe you can start your own. Though it may not be as much fun as an on-site internship, it’ll still give you the experience you need for next summer’s application season.

Don’t Stop, Don’t Give Up!

The weak girl would let her lack of internship keep her curled up in bed all summer, munching on Cheetos and blog surfing. You’re not her. Most of the people working for the companies you’re applying went through the same thing in college. If you keep working hard, applying like crazy and remain optimistic, you’re bound to end up somewhere this summer! While larger companies tend to have formal internship application processes that begin early in the spring semester, several smaller companies want interns but lack the infrastructure to find them.  Don’t be scared to reach out to companies because you truly never know!