How to have the best internship search possible this holiday season

By: Danielle Meyer

The time for internship hunting is upon us and as many of us know this tedious task can be stressful and tiring. I know the last thing any of us really want to be doing during the holiday break is to be searching for the perfect internship while revising resumes and cover letters. However, there are a few ways to make the search a little bit easier and less daunting.

1. Have goals in mind: Know the kind of internship you are looking for and have a clear idea of where you want to end up. That’s not to say to not keep an open mind about what you find available, but if you know you want to end up in a big city doing agency public relations than it’s probably not the best use of time to include tiny towns and corporate PR in your searches.
2. Have your resume full polished and ready to go: Before you even begin searching for that dream internship, make sure your resume is in tip-top shape. There’s no use in wasting time searching for an internship when you can’t actually apply for it because you’re not totally ready to go with your resume. While polishing up your resume, be sure to make it stand out from the hundreds of others that employers will be seeing this season. A unique and creative resume could be just the thing that gets you noticed and helps you land the job.
3. Use your resources and connections: Now is the time for all that networking you’ve done over the past year or two to come into play. Use the people that you know, whether it’s working professionals, alumni or professors. These people could be your “in” to the perfect internship. So make sure you reach out and find out what and whom they know, and you could benefit yourself in the long run.
4. Don’ t be afraid to be bold: If there’s a company that you have always dreamed of interning or working for but you don’t see any openings listed on their website, don’t be afraid to reach out anyway. Initiative and tenacity can go a long way in the field of PR and there’s no harm in just asking about possible openings and opportunities.
5. Follow up: Often times students lose out on their dream internship because they simply failed to remind hiring managers of their names. A lack of response is not always because you weren’t considered for the job. Sometimes hiring managers just become overwhelmed by the massive amounts of applications they receive. In order to stay fresh on their minds, a quick and polite follow up email could be all it takes.

So now is the time to begin the long process of searching and applying. Though the task may seem overwhelming from the beginning, just keep in mind that it only takes one “yes” until you’ve landed your goal. Don’t get discouraged or stressed out this holiday season. Just keep powering through the search until you hear that magical “yes”.

Danielle is junior majoring in strategic communication. She is specializing in english and retail merchandising & fashion product development. After she graduates, she wants to move to a big city, preferably New York, and work in fashion PR. Give her a follow on twitter at @DanielleMeyer17!