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Dream Internships book website
Your search begins when you start to identify what makes you tick, what excites you. Pay attention to your passions in life.
For example, if you love to dress, and often find yourself giving insightful advice on
fashion, maybe you should consider a career in the fashion industry. If
you don’t know or have a lot of interests, consider an assessment like
Strongs Interest Inventory or the Self-Directed Search. Assessments
don’t tell you what to do, but they can help you narrow down career
paths and the work environment that aligns with your temperament,
personality type, interests, abilities and values.) Your university career
services department should be able to provide an assessment. You can
also find them on plenty of websites. Just stick “Career Assessment
Test” into any search engine and you’ll be surprised at the variety to
choose from.
Gaining Experience at Different Levels If you’re in high school, get volunteer experience in the area you are
considering as a career. If the only work you have done has been baby
sitting and you don’t want to open a day care center or teach elementary
school, you need to get into an environment that matches your
interests. If you’re interested in public policy or political science, volunteer
in the office of your local assemblyman. You could discover that
politics is not your cup of tea, or the experience could light a political
fire in you and confirm your desire to purse a career in government.
If you’re in college and have not made a career choice, let yourself
fantasize. Jot down your the activities you like. Say, for example, you
enjoyed your classes in political science and public policy. The reading
assignments and the professor’s lectures appealed to your desire to see
justice done. You imagine a life where you make a difference. You
recall the time when you were in junior high and participated in an outreach
program to the poor by working in a soup kitchen. Now that you
have more understanding about how “the system” works, you want to
do more. Start by asking your professor about internships available in
public service. Yes, you will have to ask people for help. That’s the first
and most important step. Who you know and who knows you matters,
but what you do with this support matters more.
There are many resources at your disposal, probably more than you
realize. The first thing you do is tell everyone you know that you are
looking for an internship and be specific about what you want.
When Olga (a young lady who landed the music Internet internship) asked
about internships, she already knew that she wanted to work in music.
She started with her music professor. Her conversation with him is an
example of what to say.
Sample dialogue/telephone script “Professor Graham, taking your class has made me realize that I
have a passion for music. I am not sure that I want to be a performer,
but I know I want to do something in the Arts. I was wondering if you
could suggest some contacts or places for me to look for internship
opportunities this summer.
“Sure. Let’s set up time and we can talk in my office.
“That would be great. I appreciate that. How about Thursday at
4pm?”
Take that conversation, mold it to your situation and match it to the
people in your life—Mom, Dad, Uncle, Pastor, Professor, Alumni of
the University and friends. All these people need to know two things:
1. You are looking for an internship
2. What kind of internship you want.
You do this because you don’t know who knows whom. You may
think that your family isn’t well connected, but when you start asking
around, you will be astonished at the connections you can make. If you
have a fear of asking for favors and engaging people in conversation, it
helps to realize that people - even strangers- want to help and contribute
to someone’s future. Here’s how you might talk with a total stranger
about an internship.
Sample dialogue/telephone script “I love animals and would like to volunteer here at the animal shelter.
I am thinking about veterinary medicine as a profession and I
know that I can get some good experience.”
“Well, right now, we have all the volunteers we need.”
“Oh. Well, can you recommend another shelter or animal hospital?”
“You know, if you had started back in January, you could have
applied to the top animal hospital in town. They have an extensive
summer program, but it is very competitive and it hardly pays if at all.
April is too late to start, but I’m sure the shelters around town could use
your help. You could go to the ASPCA, but go in person. They never
answer the phone or return voicemail messages.”
“Thanks for the lead.”
Not to do list: Your Search
• Don’t complain that you have to know someone to get an
internship. Look, who you know can really help you, but not
having a large network of professionals working for you is no
excuse.
• Don’t spend more time on myspace.com or MTV.com than
job sites. The Internet is a great place to start your search.
Here are some suggestions: www.monster.com;
www.careerbuilders.com, www.idealist.org,
www.blackcollegian.com, www.blackenterprise.com,
www.businessweek.com, www.fortune.com and
www.diversityinc.com
• Don’t pay for college services that you don’t use. Probably one
of the most under-used places at your college is the career
center. Make an appointment or go and visit the center and
let the counselor know what you are looking for. They will be
able to give you some guidance. After all, you are paying for
this service as part of your tuition, whether you use it or not.
• Don’t think an internship will find you. This is a search, so do
some searching! Newspapers, magazines, books on internships
are all resources. Also, get creative – make phone calls, attend
job fairs, and offer to do unpaid work at companies you’re
interested in (even if they don’t have an established internship
program.)
Dream Internships book website
When to Search (The Early Bird . . .) Time is what you need to obtain a quality internship. Shanice was
waiting to hear from one company that had seemed promising for her
first internship as a college student. It was April and she had not heard
from them, so she opened the Yellow Pages and started cold calling
public relation firms.
“Hello. My name is Shanice Bennett and I am a communications
major at Virginia Tech. I am looking for an internship. I would like to
send you my resume. To whom should I send it?”
She says got a couple of interviews out of that strategy. Fortunately,
the first company finally came through and it was a paid internship. It
paid more than the places she had called, but she was not willing to
wait.
“You have to be aggressive,” says Shanice. “I wanted a plan B in
case my first choice didn’t come through.”
The next year, she decided not to wait until April to nail something
down. She had started in November on her own personal telephone
campaign. She put together a list of 20 companies she was interested
in. This time she said:
“Hi, my name is Shanice Bennett and I’m would like to intern with
your company this summer. When is the best time to apply and to
whom should I send my resume?”
Internship Calendar (Highly Recommended for College Sophomores and above)
- September:Begin search by asking professors, alumni, church, elected officials, family and friends for contacts
- October:Search Internet, alumni directories, corporate directories of companies where you want to work,
newspapers, trade journals, career centers
- November:Write letters and submit applications and supporting documents
- December: Before holidays, send follow-up letters and emails to confirm your applications are complete and you
are being considered
- January: Phone calls to follow up where you are being considered
- February: Find unobtrusive ways to send application enhancers—your transcript if your GPA is
exceptional, notice of any honors you’ve received
or related experience you’ve gained since making
the application
- March: Receive notices of acceptance
Timeline Considerations
You cannot wait until April and think, “Oops what am I gonna do
this summer?” and expect to find a good internship. By that time, the
better internships are gone and internship programs at leading corporations
have stopped accepting applications. They are already making
their final decisions and the candidates can expect acceptance letters by
mid-May, if not sooner.
Even though the positions are unpaid, you have to compete for the
few positions available, and the earlier your application, the better your
competitive position.
Another possible timeline for a paid internship at the company of
your choice begins this summer for next summer. You should spend
this summer researching companies to determine where you’d like to
work and to get ready for the application process. Develop your writing
samples and get them proof-read by someone whose editing skills you
trust.. Should your target company want an essay, you want to be ready.
The more prestigious a company, the more selective they can be, so
you must make sure when you submit your application that it is COMPLETE.
Just as your college application had multiple parts, your target
company may have a multi-part application. Yours will end up in the
trash can if it’s not perfect.
Many of the major and influential companies have formal internship
programs and are deluged with applications and resumes. Pay
close attention because there are strict deadlines. Depending on the
company, the application deadlines can be as early as November or
December for that following summer. For example, the deadline for a
summer internship application at The New York Times is November
15th. That is among the earliest deadlines (who wouldn’t want to intern
with an organization that has Pulitzer Prize winners on staff?), yet it
illustrates the point. Start early.
Dream Internships book website
Build Your Internship Team It is easy to become discouraged and give up by yourself. Ask yourself, “Who are
five people I can enlist to hold me accountable to my plan to get an
internship and help me discover how I can survive with an unpaid
internship?” These people are folks you trust. Your list might include:
• My toughest teacher or professor.
• My friend who understands that I want to get ahead more than
I want to fit in with my peers.
• My pastor
• My guidance counselor at school.
Tell your team members your goal. Write it down for them with a target
date for each step. Your goal might read:
“I will get an internship that will help me learn more about human
rights in three months. Since most internships in human rights are
unpaid, I will also have to get a part-time job.”
Some smaller goals to help you reach the larger goal might be:
• “I will write letters to three companies requesting information
about internships by the end of next week.”
• “I will go to five businesses everyday for the next four weeks to
find a part-time job that will supplement my income.”
Give your team members permission to hold you accountable for the
goals and target dates. Each one will ask you periodically how you are
progressing toward your goal. Holding you accountable means they
may remind, nag, and show you consequences. Deal with it!
Also share with your team members your concerns about what might
get in the way or keep you from achieving your goal. For example:
• “There aren’t any good businesses in my neighborhood,”
• “My family needs me to work full time”
• My parent does not support me and often discourages me
• “I won’t make enough to save for school if I work part time.”
Ask your team to help you see which skills you have that will help you
achieve your goal. For example:
• “I am confident when I speak with people”
• “I am a hard worker”
• “I learn fast.”
• “I am creative.”
Discuss with your team how your life will be different once you
achieve this goal. Write down ways your life would improve if you were
to reach the goal.
• “I will know more about . . .”
• “I will know that hard work and sacrifice pay off.”
• “When things get tough, Iknow I can handle it!”
Do you feel weird about sharing this stuff with your team? If so,
pick a different team or change your attitude! You need a support system
of people who want what is best for you. On your team you need
people who want you to succeed and would be honored to help you
reach your goals. Once you get the help you are asking for, follow up
on any leads your support team gives you. Keep the big picture in mind
because you are going somewhere!
Your Search: Putting It All Together • Know your strengths! Get clarity on your interests and abilities.
If you are not sure, speak with your school’s career counselor
about some of the assessments available such as the Gallup
Strengths Finder assessment.
• Develop your prospective list of potential employers.
• Determine in which city you want to do an internship.
• Contact companies or organizations and ask about their
internship program. (See chapter 3 for steps to perfecting your
resume).
• Tell everyone you know that you are looking for an internship.
• Be prepared to communicate specifically.
• “I’m looking to do an internship in research or finance.”
• “I need to get experience working in a lab or on the
trading floor.”
• “I am looking for an internship in marketing.”
• Make a list of people to contact.
• Talk to the Dean of your specialty area
• Contact Career Services at your university.
• Go on line. Keyword: Internship
Looking Ahead Next, you need a resume. You may have prepared one to apply
for the job at Burger King or you may have submitted one with your
college application. Neither of these will do when you apply for an
internship. In the next chapter you’ll learn how to prepare a professional
resume.
Dream Internships book website |
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