Thursday, October 2, 2008

Tips for Finding an Internship!

There are plenty of things you can do to get an internship while you’re still in school. The best advice focuses on the connections you make and networking in general.

Guest speakers: The guest speakers your teachers and professors invite to class are more than likely professionals in the industry. Make a positive impression when asking questions and chatting with them afterwards. Ask about internship opportunities, get their business cards and send a thank you e-mail within a couple of days. The thank you e-mail should briefly sum up your interest after hearing from them in class. Remember to re-introduce yourself and if you want to, you could even attach your resume.

Listservs: Make sure you are getting those listserv e-mails for your major or specific school within the university. For public relations majors at Temple University, there is a listserv you can join, which offers updates, but more importantly internship opportunities in the area. Temple’s PRSSA chapter also has a listserv, which sends out internship opportunity notifications as well.

Word of mouth: Keep your eyes and ears alert! Ask around, if you are looking for an internship make it known. Talk to your professors or ask other students how they got their internships. Companies who have internship positions are regularly trying to fill those positions. Though it may usually be at the beginning of fall, spring and summer semesters, getting the inside scoop from the current interns at a company is always useful.

Good luck!

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