Securing Your First Internship
Securing your first internship may seem daunting especially when there is pressure coming from all angles whether that be peers, parents, or professors. There are also so many different parts that go into the internship search and application process. It is no wonder that securing that first internship is one of the hardest milestones in a person’s professional career. In this article, we hope to summarize some steps that go into landing that first internship!
Perfect Your Resume
Every single internship application will ask for your resume, so it’s imperative that you perfect it before sending out applications or begin networking. Aside from your interview, your resume is your selling point to recruiters as it is the first step to demonstrating your fit for the position. For tips on perfecting your resume, please view our blog, Resume Building 101.
Make Connections and Utilize Them!
If this is your first time hearing something similar to this phrase, know that it will not be your last. “The business world is about connections.” Everyone and everything is about who you know in the business world, and every single connection you have goes a long way, even if it may not be apparent in the present. Connections can refer you for a position at a company or introduce you to someone who can refer you, which is essential for securing your first internship, especially at a company that is well-known and substantially big.
So how do you make connections? There are a variety of ways you can secure connections and expand your network. Here are a few:
Attend business events on campus! UBS hosts events, such as Financial Services Night, Consulting Night, Fall Business Showcase, or Jobs & Internships Fair, that give you exposure to recruiters, employees, and peers from all different industries and companies that you can leverage! Various organizations at UCLA also host information sessions, fairs, and networking nights that can also give you more opportunities to meet different people.
Join a business organization. Choose an organization that specializes in your area of interest or a general business organization, and from there, you have unlocked a large network of like-minded peers and alumni who are currently in the workplace. Once you’re in the organization, you can contact alumni and club members for networking opportunities.
Attend company-hosted programs. Sometimes larger companies host programs for underclassmen to explore their companies and/or the industry. These programs may span from a one-day excursion to a weekend-long program depending on the intensity of the program. Here, you get to directly interact with employees and recruiters from a specific company!
LinkedIn is a treasure chest. Use LinkedIn as a tool and reach out to people from different companies. Once you find their profile, sending a quick LinkedIn message asking about the company, position, or general business tips goes a long way!
Once you have established your network, it is beneficial to maintain them, which means to contact them once in a while and nurture the relationship! By doing this, you grow closer to the person and build credibility, so when it comes time to apply to that internship, you have someone on your side!
Volume is Key
Landing that first internship is difficult because you might be coming from a background with little to no professional experience. In the event that you do not have many connections and little professional experience, it is important to first, emphasize any extracurricular or educational experience that is relevant to the position you want to apply for and two, apply to as many internships as possible!
The reasoning for this is that because most recruiters have a standard for years of experience or the type of experience when looking at resumes, getting to the phone screen or first round interview may be difficult. By applying to a large volume of internships, it increases your chances of landing the phone screen or first round interview!
Some places that are a great resource for finding internships to apply to are UCLA Handshake, LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, or directly on the company website.
The caveat to this tip is you must stay organized! Because you may be applying to so many internships, it is easy to lose track of which ones you have applied for and when it comes time for your phone screen, you have lost the job description. So you can organize the internships you have applied to or intend to apply to in a chart.
Here is a template that you can use to organize your internship search: Internship Search Template. To edit, click File → Make a Copy.
There may be a lot of pressure when it comes to finding and landing your first internship, but it’s important to remember that you are not alone! You are surrounded by your peers who are also finding their professional path, so give yourself some wiggle room, keep your head up, and use the many resources meant to make this process easier. Good luck!