Home :: For Students :: Finding an Internship :: Steps and Strategies

Steps and Strategies for
Your Internship Search

Step One	Develop Your Internship or Job Goals There are so many internship possibilities and opportunities. To find an internship that you will enjoy and benefit from, consider career fields that interest you, industries you would like to explore, and skills you would like to develop. Review internship postings on Career Center Connector and visit our "Majors and Careers" section of our website. Identify and prioritize your preferred types of organizations and job tasks. Meet with a counselor at The Career Center to help identify your internship goals and interests.

Step Two	Prepare a Resume and Learn to Write Cover Letters When applying for internships you will need to send a resume and a cover letter to the employer. It is critical to send high quality written materials that are error-free! Look at resources on resumes and cover letters, like Optimal Resume. Use our career advising services for resume and cover letter critiques, available daily at The Career Center.

Step Three	Use Multiple Resources to Identify Internships The Career Center offers many resources to help you locate internships of interest. Use more than one resource to uncover the greatest number of ideal opportunities, and increase your chances of securing the internship of your dreams. Register for the Career Center Connector to access internship postings targeting U of M students. Attend the Career Center’s 2007-2008 Job and Internship Fairs: Job Fair 2007 on October 3 & 4; Internship Fair on January 22, 2008; Multicultural Career Fair on January 23, 2008; and Engineering Internship Fair on January 31, 2008. Use internship books and employer directories in The Career Center Library for contact information to inquire about internship opportunities. Surf the Internet! Get started with site links though The Career Center’s Website, or try a Yahoo search for internships.

Step Four	Apply for Positions from October through May Many summer internship deadlines are in February and March with some as early as November and others as late as June! Continue to apply as you identify new opportunities to increase your chances for success. Follow application instructions carefully and proofread your materials for typos. Maintain records on each organization you apply to and note the date you sent materials. Make a follow up call 1-2 weeks after applying to express interest, inquire about timeline, etc.

Step Five	Interview Take time to prepare and practice for interviews, to develop interviewing skills and savvy. The interview provides an opportunity for both the employer and you to determine if the internship is a good fit! Learn about interviewing techniques and strategies using The Career Center resources and practice interviewing using Interview Stream online. Meet with a counselor at the Career Center to talk about interviewing questions and strategies. Participate in a mock interview at The Career Center for an interview “dress rehearsal.”