It can often be more difficult for first year students to find a summer internship
but it is not impossible for them to find something that will lend to
their current knowledge and skills. Doing something substantial will
help students prepare to get a great internship after their sophomore
year. First year students are often viewed by employers as candidates
possessing less knowledge and limited skills than upperclassman going to
the same college. It is obvious that a first year student will have
less academic preparedness and experience than their upperclassmen; but
employers also find that these differences may depend more on the
individual attributes of candidates than it does on age and class year.
Taking Risks
As
a first year student it is important to begin taking some risks by
facing the challenges it takes to land an internship or a job. Reaching
out to family, friends, previous teachers and employers is a logical
first step. As a first year student you may not know what type of
internship you want.
Conducting informational interviews will
help you get a better handle on specific careers as well as what
employers look for when hiring talented new professionals.
Polishing Up Your Resume & Cover Letter
Working on your resume and cover letter
with a career counselor at your college will help you to create
professional documents that will make employers take notice. Although as
a first year student you may feel that you have nothing to put on a
resume, after speaking to a counselor you may find that you have more
things you can put down than you thought. A resume highlights previous
and current experiences that provides employers with an outline of your
skills and previous accomplishments. This may include high school and
college coursework, internships, jobs, community service, co-curricular
experiences, and working as a volunteer
at a nonprofit organization. Your career counselor can provide help
with your resume and cover letter to ensure that your most relevant
experiences stand out.
Using Social Media as a Tool
One
thing that all college students have as an advantage, is their ability
to utilize social media to their benefit. Many companies seek students
to help them with their social media campaigns since many of their more
senior employees are not familiar and don't know how to use it to the
company's advantage. Social media can also be a great way to get your name out there when seeking a summer internship or job. Be sure to check out the video, Tips for Using Social Media to Find an Internship, listed on my About.com site.
Creating a Blog and/or a Website
Many
students today have their own blog and websites. This is an excellent
way to highlight your interests and skills by getting your name out
there. Blogs are a good way to work on your writing skills and are a
good way to showcase your skills for employers seeking a college student
for an internship or entry-level job. For some professionals like
photography, journalism, etc., having an online portfolio really gives
an employer a good opportunity to learn more about candidates even prior
to the first interview.
Career Exploration
Even though first year students are often not yet sure of their major, first year gives them an opportunity to explore and research
how specific majors relate to future career options. When conducting
this research students can also determine what types of internships
others do to get some experience in the field they are looking to
pursue.
The Importance of Internships
In
today’s job market doing an internship is not just a good idea; it is a
must in order to be considered for employment with certain companies.
Whether you’re doing community service or volunteer work or something
more tangible, by doing these experiences you are showing employers that
you have the motivation and initiative to succeed on the job.
Ask Those in the Know
You
can also talk to your professors and other students to find out about
internships that they know of. Your peers may be able to provide
information on internships they have completed or heard about through
one of their personal networks. Faculty work with students all the time
and often hear back from students on both the good and bad summer
internship experiences they had. Some faculty maintain a departmental
website that includes information on internships in the field, or they
may just keep a list that they share with students in class or in
one-on-one appointments.
Looking to the Future
You
may decide to continue with your previous summer jobs the summer after
your first year in college (and that's ok too), but it's important to
give yourself some time to try out different experiences in order to decide which ones you would like to pursue when selecting a career following your college graduation.
By Penny Loretto
Internships Expert
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