There are so many things that PR and marketing majors need to experience while in school. From networking events, to clubs and organizations that are for your major, such as the PRSSA. One of the most important experiences is to find an internship, or two, while still in school.
Internships help you get real world experience and use all of the skills that you learned in class. You can start small, and then as you gain experience, apply to some more prestigious or competitive positions. If you need some help figuring out where to start, here are 5 tips to finding a great internship in college:
- Find your niche. What are you most interested in? When looking for an internship try to figure out the field that you want to go into. It is a great time to see if you really want to stay in, for example, corporate PR, or if you really want to switch to fashion PR. From there, you can narrow down the area that you want to be in, and the best time for you to have your internship.
- Applying for an internship. When you apply for an internship the best place to start is with your connections. Who have you met at a college job fair, networking event, or who do you know personally? When you meet professionals, always add them to your list of contacts and ask if they are looking for interns. The next thing that you can do is apply for internships through your school, or on internship websites. It is best to do this a month before the semester starts, applying at the start of a semester is too late.
- Update your resumé. If your resume still has your high school jobs on it, you might want to update! Add skills that you have learned in school, classes you have taken, awards that you have won, and clubs that you are involved in on campus. The company wants to see that you have skills that can help them while you intern. Even small internships, such as being a campus rep for a company, can be a great addition to your resume. BuzzFeed has a good article on 27 resume designs, check them out! Also, make sure you touch up,
or start a LinkedIn profile, this should match up with your resumé.
- Rock your interview. When going into your interview, make sure that you are wearing a professional outfit, have 3 to 4 copies of your resume on hand, and some work that you have done. Having your own work, even if it was for a class, is great to show a potential employer. Your outfit should be business casual, even if you know the office is more laid back. Go over some common interview questions the night before. And don’t stress, we all know that interviews are tough! Take a second to think about your answer, and mention all of the things you are excited to learn from this internship.
- Keep in contact! After your interview make sure that you send a thank your card, or email to your interviewer. A little gesture goes a long way. And even if they don’t hire you, they are another contact, and you can reapply for another position later on. Emailing a follow up to check in is very important. People can be busy in office, and reminding them, might make or break getting your the internship.
We hope that these tips help you get an internship!