Street's Guide to Scoring Awesome Internships: Rookie Edition

DO

Be proactive OCR excluded, a really great internship won’t exactly come to find you. If finding an internship is something you’re serious about, you have to search it out: ask your friends who have interned and your professors whose work inspires you to point you in the right direction.

Google, Google, Google Speaking of searching out an internship, many people think Google is a sketchy place to find a job posting…it’s not! Sure, a Craigslist posting may not be your best bet, but searching the field you’re interested in or companies you’d like to work for is a great way to find postings that go direct to the source. When the larger postings the HR department puts out don’t fill up, the departments that still need help post their openings on websites like ed2010.com and internqueen.com.

Use your connections We’re lucky enough to go to a school where our friends and their parents work at awesome companies and know all the right people. Even if they can’t guarantee you a job, they can link you up with the right people and give insider advice on what an internship would require and what your application should include.

DON'T

Be afraid to dream big Make a list of your favorite companies and ideal places to work. Now, go down that list and find the employment section of their websites. If there’s an internship program posted, apply! I’ve heard way too many people saying that they feel like they should intern at other places before they even apply to the place they really want to end up at. Why wait? Your passion for the company and the industry will make for a great cover letter and an even better interview.

Wait until the last minute I know you’re knee deep in midterms and, if you’re a sophomore, are only just now recovering from writing your abroad apps, but the time to figure out your summer plans is now! Many internship programs have deadlines in early to mid March, so start making your list of prospective internships and start thinking about what cover letters should include. Postings will be closing before you know it.

Limit yourself to New York City While all your Wharton friends may be flocking to the city for the summer, cool internships do exist elsewhere! Interning at a magazine, newspaper, or business in your hometown can be a great way to get to know the industry and get more hands-on experience. Working close to home means you don’t have to pay for housing and the intimate work environment means you’ll get awesome recommendation letters when you’re done. Philadelphia has some great opportunities too; plus, it’ll be easy to find a place to sublet and you can take a summer class or two while you’re in town!