Landing an Internship in a Tough Economy

Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair

No matter what the economists say, we’ve got to face it. Times are still tough for Americans, and many companies simply aren’t hiring full-time employees. With that said, I feel pretty lucky to be a Hoosier; many of my friends who live in other states have had a difficult time finding minimum-wage jobs, and they have college degrees!

I’ve had plenty of phone and face-to-face conversations with friends about “life after college.” What are the options if you don’t have a full-time job after graduation? Well, if you’re a fan of waking up early, you could head down to the local Starbucks and see if they’re hiring any baristas. For night owls, perhaps there’s a local 24-hour diner or even the corner pub!

But if you’re trying to enter the “professional world,” maybe Starbucks isn’t your best bet…or maybe it is! Check out my “Top Ten Tips for Finding an Internship in a Struggling Economy,” and you’ll see what I mean.

Top Ten Tips for Finding an Internship in a Struggling Economy

10. Don’t wait! Start looking now! If you’re hoping to land an internship, my advice would be to start several months in advance. For example, if you hope to work for a company in the Spring, you should definitely start looking at the internship qualifications and descriptions during back-to-school time. If you wait too long, you risk getting bogged down in coursework and school activities. When you wait, you miss deadlines and opportunities to personalize your communication with a potential employer. Key point – the sooner you start looking, the more companies you’ll be able to apply to, and the better your chances are for landing an internship!

9. Sometimes, beggars can’t be choosers. So you didn’t score your “dream internship,” but you did score “an internship.” OK – take it, and make the most of the opportunity! This internship might be your first job, but it certainly isn’t your last job. Even if it’s not in your major, look at the job description and see if you have some transferrable skills. Plenty of people don’t utilize the exact degree they graduated with – as long as you’re willing to learn, and if it’s related to the general direction of your future career, then jump at the chance to earn some experience.

8. Don’t get caught up in job titles or company names. Just because you haven’t heard of the company doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile place to work! However, you should definitely research each company before you apply. If you think the company sounds like it could be a good fit, then work on tailoring your cover letter appropriately.

7. Speaking of tailoring your cover letters, in my opinion, this is how you can really let your personality shine through! If you know an interesting tidbit about the company, incorporate it into your cover letter – it suggests you’ve done your research. Don’t be afraid to have multiple versions of your resume, too. If you have enough experience to tailor your resume to the particular job you’re applying for, then it could move you to the top of the pile.

6. Invest in some professional “stuff.” Birthday coming soon? Celebrate Christmas? Bat your eyelashes well? Ask your parents (or grandparents, etc.) for a nice pen and portfolio. Maybe you could even make a case that you need some gift cards to local department stores. Hit up the clearance rack for some decent shirts, and purchase a few neutral suits (one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter) around holidays or end-of-season sales. See if your best pal would be willing to purchase some professional stationary or high-quality resume paper for your gift exchange instead of the typical iTunes gift card. Yep, the professional gifts are kind of boring…Believe me, that’s what I got for my birthday this year. But hey, a nice looking pen can go a long way, and you can always tune into the latest #1 hit on the radio.

5. Consider talking with career services advisors or solicit your opinions from friends about social media. Some people utilize social media to their advantage – they network with professionals on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Others post their latest night out. Just be sure that you don’t put things on the Internet that may allow potential employers to formulate a bad impression of you. When there are a ton of people applying for the same position, little slip-ups (like your Facebook profile picture) can speak for themselves…and you can say “so long” to a chance at an interview! If you’ve only got a cell phone, consider recording a personal, professional voicemail message.

4. Follow-up. You’ve begged for the stationary, return address labels, nice pen, and even stamps (if you’re lucky) – now use them! Hand-written, personalized notes can go a long way. By expressing interest in interning with the company, reiterating something you discussed in an interview, asking if they need any additional information from you, leaving your contact information, and simply saying ‘thanks for the opportunity to interview,’ you’ve done pretty much all you can. Following-up demonstrates that you understand the devil is in the details, and the details are important.

3. Sell yourself, because nobody else will. OK, modesty has its place, but that place doesn’t have to be your resume. If you’re confident in your assets, experience, personality, abilities, and willingness to learn, then don’t hide! Let each organization know you can be an asset to them. You’re making a pitch to try and get hired, and now is not the time to be unsure of yourself! If you’re confident in your abilities, it will shine through. If you need help interviewing, then visit your advisor or career services office. If you don’t have either of those, look up mock-interview questions on the Internet and practice with a close buddy.

2. Google “One Day, One Internship.” It’s an extremely unique resource. Also, visit www.vistaprint.com By signing up, you can get FREE business cards. All you need to list on your business card is your name, university, expected degree and graduation date, e-mail address, phone number, and social media contact info if you’d like. Don’t list your address – it probably changes too often! When you exchange business cards with people, be sure to write on the back of their card where and when you met them. Those details may help in a follow-up conversation down the road!

1. Keep your eyes and ears open in order to connect the dots and land the job. Seriously, internships and jobs come from the most random people and places, and they can happen at the most random times! Be ready. Have your business cards. Prepare an elevator speech on who you are and what you hope to do (the short term goal, that is!) You just never know who you’ll meet or where you’ll meet them – it just may be at your local Starbucks or corner pub!

Bottom line – they say “it’s a job finding a job” for a reason! The question remains: are you willing to put forth the effort right now to land an internship that can pay-off in big ways for your future? If so, I’d say you’re on the road to (eventual) success!