Top 10 Tips For Applying to Internships

1. Always remember the cover letter to your application. This acts as your first impression to an employer and allows them to know why you are interested in the job, related work experience, and also your level of education. A cover letter is a great opportunity to show off some of your writing skills.

2. Always proofread. As amazing as it sounds, it is not uncommon for cover letters or resumes to have errors in them. You can have the best resume or cover letter possible but poor grammar or other punctuation errors may still cost you the internship.

3. Submit everything that the application asks for. If an application requires a cover letter, resume, or other transcript then they are essential to include. In fact, students should still submit cover letters even when it is not required. This will set you apart from your competitors. Not only does an incomplete application greatly reduce your chances of landing an internship but there is absolutely no reason for it to happen.

4. List of references, this includes both academic and professional references. These are used to verify your work history, character, and to answer any other questions that the interviewer may have. Personal references are not recommended because they are more likely to provide biased answers.

5. Know when the application deadline is. One of the best things to realize about application deadlines is that you do not have to wait until the last minute to turn them in. It is actually much better to turn them in early to show the company that you are on top of your game and ready to start as quickly as possible.

6. Dress to impress. Don’t over dress or under dress, just keep it appropriate. If interviewing for a company the way you dress can either help make or break you. The first thing that an interviewer sees besides your face will be your clothes and that first impression is of utmost importance.

7. Research the internship and company that you are applying for. If you go into an interview knowing little or nothing about the company that you’re applying for, you will appear unprepared if you’re asked related questions. Proper research will allow you to guide the interview into a direction that will be both easier on you and the employer.

8. Be honest and truthful about the things that you put on your application. Nothing will turn a company off quicker than to find a lie on your application. Not only does this look bad, can cause you to lose the interview or job, but it can also carry legal penalties depending on what it was about.

9.  Prepare questions about various aspects of the internship, company, and any other issues that you may need additional information about. This shows that you are highly interested in the company and also prepared to become a part of their team immediately.

10. Follow-up after the interview. After your interview, it is best to ask for a company card or some other contact information. Try to email or mail them a thank you note for the opportunity within the first day of the interview. Check back with them periodically, but be careful to not seem too desperate. A great source that goes into more detail is here.

Following these 10 interview tips, any individual seeking an internship will drastically improve their chances to landing an internship. With this in mind, you can use our site to get ideas of what type of internships you would like to do and the companies that would interest you the most.

By Diane Barlow