How to Find Summer Internships for College Students

Everyone wants a summer job, but summer internships for college students provide much more than fun money. Summer internships provide amazing opportunities for students looking to enter and increasingly competitive job market. You can spend your summer flipping burgers for beer money, or you can spend the summer gaining the experience that will give you a competitive advantage over your peers.

Summer internships for college students aren't difficult to find, provided you are persistent and don't take the occasional rejection personally. The key to landing a great summer position is not always to outshine the competition. Sometimes creating your own internship is easiest or only way to get one.

This article will help you look for outlets where internships might exists. Also, you will learn how to suggest internships to employers who aren't necessarily looking for interns. Make this summer the most valuable one of your career by using it to gain experience and make connections within your field.

Things You'll Need

• Resume
• Persistence
• Determination
• Professionalism
• College Transcript
• Internet

Instructions

1. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISER

   To find summer interships for college students, the best place to start is at your adviser's office. The adviser for your degree program is not only an expert regarding education matters, but likely has real world connections that may lead to the position of your dreams. Many advisers, particularly those specializing in practical skill degrees, have spent a good deal of time working and interacting with other professionals and business owners. Your adviser is also the first person to get a call when an old associate is looking for a student intern.

2. MAKE A LIST OF POSSIBLE BUSINESSES

   If your adviser doesn't know of any summer internships for college students for which you are suited, it's time to create your own. This is actually much easier than it sounds. It's also a better investment of time than searching through the classified for internship listing (which would most likely be handled between a business and your college).

   To do this, first make a list of local businesses that operate in a related field. If you are an automotive student, for instance, you would look for automotive businesses. Create a list of these businesses, their addresses, and their phone numbers. One of these businesses will likely be providing you with an internship, even though they may have never considered the possibility of interns before.

   **If you are able to obtain the name of the manager, department manager, or personnel director at the business, you will help make a good impression by asking for that person by name when you go to apply.

3. PREPARE TO MEET

   You will be making contact in person with the businesses you have listed. This first meeting is vital to the success of your search for a position. Remember, you are not only selling yourself (as you would be in a normal job interview), but you are actually attempting to convince an employer that they want to offer an internship to anyone at all.

   Preparation is the key to making this first meeting work. You want to communicate a sense of dedication and professionalism. You must convince potential employers that your presence will be an asset rather than a hassle. Of course, your appearance must project this image, but dressing for respect is only the beginning.

   In addition to the right outfit, you also need a great resume, a list of references, your college transcript, and letters of recommendation if you have them. Always arrive with a pen and a small notebook in case you need to take notes, or you need to give the impression that you are paying close attention.

   Additionally, to get the summer internships for college students that you really want, you should increase your odds of acceptance by mentally preparing for the possibility of an on-the-spot interview. Consider the questions you will likely be asked. Why did you choose your field? What do you want to do with your degree? What are your greatest skills? What has college prepared you for thus far? What areas of the business do you most need practice in? What can you offer the company or business. There are only a few of the questions that often come up in an interview.

4. SHOWING UP

   Unlike responding to a job listing, when you go to a business to ask about an unlisted or nonexistent internship, you can expect a bit of confusion. You can also expect some initial rejection. What you shouldn't expect is to be offered a job or internship.

   If the business you are approaching has never hired an intern, they may need some time to consider the possibilities. Though you may get many rejections, you should consider some of these postponements. A personnel director might not initially be interested in teaching a college kid for the summer, but that often changes quickly. A stack of papers, a dirty shop floor, or any unpleasant work that does not require skill can have a convincing effect.

   No matter what response you get, be polite and professional. Remember, it may only be a year or two before you are returning to the same business to request a real job. If possible, even if you are rejected, request a business card. This will be beneficial to you when entering the job market.

   Whether they show interest immediately or some time down the road, be ready to sell your internship.

5. SELL YOUR INTERNSHIP

   When you are unable to find summer internships for college students through traditional means, learning to sell the concept of an internship can be the difference between washing dishes and working in your field of study. 'Selling' your internship means convincing a potential employer that an internship is at least as good for them as it is for you.

   If you think about it, convincing a business that low-cost or FREE skilled labor from a career-pather like yourself should not be too difficult. Emphasize that you are a quick learner and your schedule is flexible. It is also important to communicate that you are not afraid of hard work or work that isn't necessarily related to your field. For instance, if you are studying to be a vet technician, you might be asked to clean offices, file paperwork, order supplies, or any number of jobs that might not require your education. Make sure your employer knows that you are more than willing to do all sorts of jobs in addition to work that is directly related to your degree.

6. KEEP IN CONTACT

   Even as you continue to search for summer internships for college students, don't give up on the businesses you have already contacted. Give the manager or personnel director a call a week after your initial meeting to see if they have heard of any opportunities. Then, call again in a couple more weeks. As long as you are not demanding and are not disrupting their business, you will probably be well received. This will also help you when you go to search for employment after graduation. Businesses will know you, know you are driven to succeed, and will already have a positive history in their interaction with you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are convincing a business to create an internship for you, working for free will increase your odds of success dramatically. While it is true that underselling yourself is not good in the professional world, as an intern you are expected to value the experience more than the paycheck. It is much more difficult to convince a business to take on an a student with no degree for a position that does not exist, and then to pay you for the favor.

• DO NOT HARASS!!! You are attempting to build not only experience, but a professional reputation. If you harass a business about a position, they will likely want nothing to do with you. If you become truly obnoxious, they may even tell other businesses about you.