If you’ve decided to undertake an internship in the summer, you’ll find lots of great opportunities out there. The right summer internships can help you to gain valuable experience within your chosen profession, improving your chances of getting a job at the end of it.
According to experts, a summer internship can increase the chances of getting employment to 59%. Furthermore, studies have shown that in 2018, the number of interns being hired will have increased by 1.7%. Carrying out an internship this summer will not only increase your chances of employment, but it could also guarantee a higher salary.
However, with so many different internships summer 2018 available, how can you ensure you’re getting the best one? Here, we’ll look at some of the top things you can do to ensure you’re making the right decision and get the most from your internship.
Have a clear understanding of what you want
When you’re trying to choose an internship, it really helps to know what you want to get out of the experience. What skills are you hoping to develop, and which type of industry are you looking to work in?
There are a lot of internship opportunities within each sector, so having a clear idea of the exact job you want to do will really help you to make the best choice. For example, if you’re hoping to work within the healthcare sector, you may find public health internships summer 2018 are a great option. Similarly, some internships are designed with older candidates in mind. So, if you’re fresh out of college, you’ll want to make sure you’re focusing on internships for college freshmen summer 2018.
Think about the type of company you want to work for. If you’re hoping to work with a small business for example, then you’ll want an internship which places you within a small business environment. Always look for an internship which matches not just the job you want, but the working environment too.
Don’t just focus on the things you want from the internship either. Think about the things you don’t want. Research each internship thoroughly so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into and which ones are more likely to enhance your career. When researching, carry out a basic search for the type of internship you’re considering. You can type in phrases such as:
- how to find summer internships
- how to find summer internships abroad
- how to find summer internships for college students
- how to find summer engineering internships
The more specific you are in your query, the better. Don’t forget about location too. Adding NYC summer internships to your search query for example, will ensure you’re only presented with applicable internship opportunities. Think about what your future employers will want to see on your resume too. For example, if you’re looking to get into an IT career, you’ll want to look at computer engineering internships summer 2018. Taking the time to do your research will ensure you don’t choose the wrong internship.
Understanding the different types of internships
There are so many different types of internships available to choose from. Therefore, it helps to understand a little about each one before choosing the right internship for you. The main types of internships on offer include:
- Credit based internships
- Summer internships
- Non-profit internships
- Job shadowing
- Service learning
Credit-based internships provide a certain number of academic credits which really help if you’re completing a degree in your chosen field. Typically, colleges and companies work together to offer these types of internships.
Summer internships can either last for the whole of the summer, or for just a few weeks. They’re the shortest type of internship you can undergo, and they’re usually undertaken independently. This means, the school or college won’t set them up, you’d instead need to apply by yourself.
Non-profit internships can include working and learning at a school, religious organization, government agency, hospital or a charity. They are largely aimed at public services and are usually considered voluntary positions. While you won’t receive payment, the internship will look fantastic on your resume.
Job shadowing is typically an opportunity presented to university students. They usually last for a period of a few weeks and you’ll basically shadow a professional to learn more about a specific job role. You’ll get to see exactly how the job is carried out and develop key skills you’ll need. So, if you know exactly which position you’re interested in, this would be the best type of internship program for you.
Finally, service learning internships are organized by community-based organizations such as libraries, shelters and community centers. After completing this type of internship, you’ll usually need to present your findings or experience via a presentation or paper.
Whichever type of internship you do opt for, each will give you valuable experience within the field. When choosing which internship to apply to, consider your personal interests and the job sector you’re hoping to get into.
Observe and learn
Internships can really help to ensure you get the best start in your career. While the classroom can teach you a lot about the basics of the industry, it doesn’t provide you with practical experience. Only by actually doing the job, can you start to learn more about it and develop the skills you need to succeed.
So, once you’ve found the right internship, if you want to get the most from it you’ll need to really observe and learn as much as you can. See how employees at the company spend most of their time. How many hours do they typically work and how do they communicate with one another?
Try and attend department meetings if you’re allowed to. This will give you a deeper understanding of how the company presents its ideas, handles any challenges and how it operates. This will give you the best idea of whether it’s the right company you want to be working with.
Will you receive feedback?
While the grades you achieve in college will make a big difference to your career, so too will professional feedback. So, it’s worth checking whether the internship you’re interested in will present you with professional feedback at the end of it.
If it does, you’ll obviously want to make sure you work hard and put the effort in to impress the supervisor. Some managers may not even consider giving feedback unless the candidate has shown great promise.
It’s also important to keep in mind that any feedback you do receive could include constructive criticism. This is designed to help you identify which areas you need to work on and how you can improve within the workplace.
Using the internship to create valuable contacts
Once the internship is underway, you’ll find it useful to create valuable connections. This can help you to find a job within the industry when you’re ready, as well as help you to understand more about the job role.
You can start in the break room. Make the effort to talk to other workers and introduce yourself if you haven’t already. You could even introduce yourself to workers in other departments too. Building up these connections can help you in the future, especially if you keep in touch with them once the internship has come to a close.
Listing the internship on your resume
Having a summer internship listed on your resume is going to seriously help boost your chances of employment. However, it’s important to make sure you’re listing it correctly.
If you’ve taken a summer internship for college students, be sure to list it in a strategic way on your resume. Highlight the skills you learned during the internship, so the employer can see you have the knowledge and skills required for the role. Speak about the duties you performed and try to be as specific as possible about the projects you completed. Give actual figures rather than stating you carried out a “few projects”.
Did you help the internship provider with anything in particular during the duration of the internship? If so, put it down! It could be that you carried out research which in turn helped them to complete a project. Any significant changes you helped to make should always be listed.
If you struggle to create the perfect resume, you could always enlist the help of a resume writing service. This will help to ensure you’re not only putting the correct information down, but you’re presenting it in the best possible way too.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the best summer internship 2018. Taking the time to research and planning ahead so that you can get the most out of the internship are essential.
