By: Katie Giannetto
When going into college, many students maintain a part time job. Starr helps to give out many opportunities with jobs as well as internships. Internships are just as important as those part time jobs, they help gain experience needed in the workforce that school will not supply. It also provides you with skills and relationships with people in the same field. It is important to go for internships in order to help build up your resume.
Unpaid Internships
Not to be discouraging but there are unpaid internships available as well as internships that give stipends. These are usually good for students just starting to apply for internships and are a good option! These tend to be more flexible with hours as they are understanding of students who do have a part time job. Although this does not pay, it gives students experience for the workforce and opens up more opportunities for students who want more internships in the future!
Paid Internships
Paid internships are excellent, you get experience while also benefiting from getting paid. There are many options for paid internships as well! Some prefer experience while others just look for a good candidate. A way to stand out would be having a unique resume, personable cover letter, and being able to connect with the interviewer on the interview. A company usually needs someone who would represent them the best, relating with company values while also having a surplus of activities or experience which is a great way to stand out!
Interview and Resume
The resume and application process usually comes before the interview. The application usually asks basic questions and asks for a resume and sometimes a cover letter. Your resume usually includes activities, awards, education, and experience. Not everyone starts out with experience and that’s okay but using these internship opportunities helps you to build that experience. Your resume should include things you have accomplished that help you to stand out. Show yourself off! A cover letter on the other hand is unique to whatever you’re applying for. Always look for the company values and show how you relate to it in a cover letter. A cover letter can look like a resume but in your words to include your values. Always use these to make you stand out! The next step is the interview, if chosen. This is usually the thing that is most nerve wracking. To prepare for the interview it is helpful to research what you are applying for and the interviewer to be able to relate and connect with them. It is always helpful to make it less of a question and answer and more of a conversation, it makes you stand out!
Experience
Nobody has experience when first starting out and that is okay. It is always helpful to apply for more than one internship. The interview process becomes more relaxed once you have a surplus of interviews. Use any experience you gain in an internship or activity to build up your resume. It is also okay to not do an internship in the field you want. Use every internship as a learning experience to find things you enjoy or possibly do not enjoy. Having internships in more than one field can only help you, it will never hurt you. Always make sure your resume is updated with all new experiences to show off what you have done!
This is just some information on internships and why they are important to building up your resume and giving you experience. Networking with people is so important and may even help you to land an internship. Experience in any internship can be very rewarding and help you to get to know yourself better as well as what you enjoy!