Become a Captain of your Intern-Ship

According to Forbes, "Internships are an opportunity to network with great people and sharpen your skills before entering the workforce!"

Internships are to work in a firm based on your skills, which the firm might currently be looking for. Paid or unpaid, it ensures you brush up on your skills and knowledge in the department you choose to work for; it also briefs you about the professional atmosphere in the corporate world you are going to enter in the near future. The steps mentioned below will help you get an internship of your choice.

1. Keep your CV ready.

Writing a CV always puts you in a quandary, as you need a precise CV to apply for the internships you’re looking for. Having an all-inclusive resume shows your skills, which increases your chances of getting hired. Keeping your CV neat, descriptive, and precise helps the firm engage for a minute with your profile to take a glance at. A CV should contain your true experiences and skills. It should always include your recent participations, certifications, and volunteer history, along with updated contact details that are currently valid. Using old contact details might reduce your opportunities if the firm ever wants to get back to you. Keep your CV ready and updated, so it is convenient for you to apply anytime.

2. Make use of your university’s placement cells.

It’s not just a place to discuss career matters, but they also help you get into the good books of firms as an intern. Connecting with a lot of people and alumni of your university gives you the opportunity to create a wide range of networks. Having networks with as many people as possible is always fruitful for your near future. Stepping into the professional world needs great networks and experiences. Placement cells will always help you find the position or department you want to join or work for as an intern.

3. Make use of your networks.

You all have your parents, older siblings, cousins, or other family members with a few good contacts. Always try to get such good contacts from your family or friends. Networking results in substantial results, which might let you into great firms as an intern. In many cases, you might be preferred by those firms because your family or your friend has direct contact with them professionally.

Now, let us say you had an event recently for which you were the PR head. You might have contacted the guests for your event directly; you might have even learned how their firm or industry works. This lets you use such contacts if you are genuinely interested in having work experience at their firm. On the other hand, they know how you contacted them professionally, or they at least might have acknowledged how you handled your work as the PR head for the event.

4. Send speculative applications:

Narrow down your list of companies you want to intern for and send them speculative emails. Your email should contain a cover letter explaining why you would love to work with them, and you should try enquiring about their upcoming intern vacancies for the position you want to work for. Keep the cover letter short and well-defined. Always attach your CV to the email. Keeping track of the companies you sent mail to will help you get back and check for their replies from time to time.

5.Register yourself on job listing sites:

Word of mouth should not be your only approach when choosing a firm to work for as an intern. You should also register yourself on some job listing websites like LinkedIn, Naukri, WorkIndia, and Internshala, which are some of the top job listing websites today. It filters the position or the department you’re looking forward to working in at a firm and recommends the best results for you. These websites sometimes provide a more accurate picture of the internship you’re desiring to do than word of mouth in the corporate world.

6.Volunteer :

Until the time you start applying, or until the time you are waiting for the firms’ responses to your mail or your applications, you can start volunteering. Volunteering could be for any purpose, such as big events in society or any concerts in the city, or it can also be related to any social work. But yes, volunteering is like a little bonus to your CV.

Follow these ways to find your perfect-fit internship, and remember one thing:

From making your resume to getting an internship, you learn to enter the world of professionalism. Though it may be on a small scale, these things coach you to survive the world of the workforce!

- By Tisha Ahuja