How to find your summer internship

Flip flops, the beach, no school, and… internships? You may think a summer internship will kill your dreams of having a fun and carefree summer with all of your friends. However, summer internships are one of the best ways to explore the industries that you’re interested in. The only problem is getting an internship in the first place. It may seem like a confusing and hectic process at first, but this article will provide you with a few steps you can take to help secure your dream internship for this upcoming summer.

Step 1: Figure out what you want to do

Internships are a great experience no matter what field they’re in, but an internship in the field you are majoring in or hope to have a career in one day will obviously be more beneficial. If you aren’t exactly sure what major or career you want, summer internships can be an excellent opportunity to try out a field you aren’t sure about and see how you like it. Summer internships will provide you with real life experience in the field, which you can use to help you determine whether or not you truly see yourself having a career in that industry.

Step 2: Research where you would want to work

Corporate environments are different at each company, even with internships. In order to make sure you get the ideal internship, you’ll want to first research companies and find a few you like and could see yourself working for. Corporate culture is very prominent in each company, and you want to make sure the company you intern with has a similar personality to you.

For example, if you’re a definite type A personality and enjoy structure then you probably wouldn’t thrive at a company lacking organization and has few rules. You’ll definitely have the most beneficial experience if you intern at a company with a corporate culture aligning with your values. Keep in mind  that you should be grateful for any opportunity you get and don’t rule out anything unless you’ve properly researched and assessed it.

Step 3: Reach out to people you’ve worked with in the past

When considering who to reach out to for help in finding your internship, make sure they’re someone who knows you well and you enjoyed working with. You could contact previous teachers, recent professors, or even people in the greater community or extracurricular scene with whom you have a good relationship.

Hopefully you’ve kept in contact with some of these people and are able to approach them. Try sending them a professional email or giving them a phone call to see if they have any positions open for someone like yourself. Make sure the position you are looking for is appropriate for someone with your qualifications.

For example, if you are majoring in accounting and have never spent more than an hour with young children, an internship at a day camp facility might not be your best option — I wish you the best of luck if that is the route you take, though.

A crucial part of this step is having an updated resume you include in your emails. Your resume doesn’t completely depict you as a person, but it does a nice job detailing your accomplishments to a potential recruiter.