Disclaimer: I am speaking solely from my own experience. I’m currently a second-year student at a four-year college, and over the past two years I’ve applied to dozens of internships. I’ve accepted and worked at five remote internships at four organizations, both during the summer and throughout the school year. My methods might not work for you, but after fielding a lot of questions I wanted to compile the advice I've gotten from credible professionals that has worked for me.
Internships can be amazing. The best internships can help you explore what you're passionate about, shape what you want to do in your future career, and provide valuable professional experience and connections — all while getting paid.
I want to emphasize that it is SUPER possible to get an internship — even a paid one, even as a freshman or sophomore without much, or any, professional experience. ****I had zero professional experience when I got my first paid internship as a freshman — I just had the relevant skills and marketed myself well. Practical tips on how to do that are the "resources" section below.
For specific questions on dealing with rejection and resources for folks with autism and hidden disabilities, please check out the Q&A section at the bottom.
Colleges' career services are often a wealth of untapped knowledge. Their staff will help you with your application materials (resume + cover letter), the internship search process, do interview prep with you, create connections between you and alumni, etc. Book an appointment with them and have a list of written questions so you can make the most of your time with them!
Link back to the table of contents.
Industry connections are good — but what if you don't have any? What if your college's career services aren't super helpful?
Job Sites: Sites like Indeed get a LOT of traffic and applications. I regularly skim Indeed (LinkedIn and Glassdoor are somewhat similar options), but I personally prefer sites limited to specific industries (such as Hitmarker for e-sports, or Idealist for non-profit work). College-specific job boards like Handshake can also be great — talk to your college's career services about them! Since both industry-specific job sites and college job sites tend to be more curated, they'll save you search and energy time. They often also get fewer applicants than big sites like Indeed, which can mean that you're also more likely to get noticed.
<aside> 💡 Remote internships tend to get many more applications than ones that require a specific location. I had to apply to remote internships because I've been bouncing around living locations recently, but if you can apply for local internships you might have a better shot!
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Career Fairs: I've heard great things about school-run career fairs, but I haven’t had the time to attend one. I highly encourage you check them out if you can! I plan on doing so in the future.
Informational Interviews: These are NOT job interviews, nor a way to find job openings — but informational interviews can be a great way of expanding your professional network and getting first-hand information about a particular field or type of position. Check out this article if you're interested in reading a more comprehensive guide.