Getting an internship isn’t easy – especially if your primary goal is to make money as soon as possible. While we, here at WayUp, advocate applying for jobs that will give your wallet a quick boost, we also know that greater long-term value lies in looking for positions that will boost your resume. Here’s how you can make sure you’re getting an internship that will look good on a resume, which will in turn make you look good as you establish your career.
Look into startups.
Because there’s so much to be done in growing a business, startups will rarely hire interns for the sole purpose of fetching coffee. Chances are, you’ll be given a lot of responsibilities and because startups tend to be smaller, you’ll very likely have the opportunity to collaborate with high-level managers or the CEO.
This type of opportunity is extremely valuable, not only because talking up your experience and contributions in future interviews is vital, but also because proving that you can communicate well with anyone — from entry-level employees to upper management — will make you a unique candidate in any applicant pool.
Try new experiences, but keep the story of your resume in mind.
Upon looking over your resume, employers will ask you to connect the dots in order to find out what your true interests are. That doesn’t mean that you should only apply for editorial internships if you’re an English major or banking internships if you’re majoring in Finance. In fact, at WayUp, we strongly advocate that you try something new– not only to expand your skill set, but also to determine what you like and don’t like in an internship. At the same time, you do have to know why you chose a particular position, and you need to be able to relate it to the rest of your work experience or classwork. Take some time to think about your interests, and review your past experience. Are there any commonalities in your resume like problem-solving or collaboration? That should give you insight into the types of internships you should target.
Look for project-oriented internships.
Project-oriented internships can be anything from building up a media company’s content base to helping a growing startup construct a new app — anything that will result in a finished product. Having the tangible result of your work is a huge advantage that you can leverage in all your future interviews. It may seem excessive to send over work samples or bring a portfolio into your interview, but trust us – when employers see this, they’ll know that you’re serious about the position and that you can accomplish a lot — even as a young employee.
If you’re looking for internships that have these qualities, you’ve definitely come to the right place – so be sure to sign up for WayUp if you haven’t already!
