As I began applying for summer internships, I found myself at a loss about where to begin. However, a few weeks later, I received an email from one of the programmes to which I had applied but had not anticipated receiving a response.

This is how I secured an internship during my first year of college and gained valuable professional experience!

I applied and sent my CV, knowing full well that I was unlikely to get hired due to my lack of technology skills, and proceeded to seek for other options. I received an email from the programme two weeks later informing me that my application and résumé had been matched with an employer, a manufacturer of automotive accessories.

I was hired as their Human Resources Intern during the interview process, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to accept the position!

Here are some of the things that aided me in the application, interview, and placement of an internship during the summer after your freshman year or at any point during your academic career.

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1. Apply to any opportunity that knock you door.

If you have the time and energy available outside of education and/or your work, I strongly advise you to spend some of your leisure time exploring new options that come your way. If the position appears to be legitimate and pleasant, I say go for it!
It’s all about seizing chances that present themselves and being active in organisations that can connect you with those opportunities. Now, whether you’re applying for different chances, internships, or employment, it’s critical that you react to any offers or interview invitations you get.

2. Make contact with alumni or staff members who may have connections.

This was definitely the most difficult aspect of securing a summer internship. Although I was satisfied with the instructors I had throughout my first year, I realised I seldom met them in person (for obvious reasons) and knew nothing about them personally due to the fact that the majority of my classes were lecture-based.

Hopefully, the forthcoming semester and year will make it simpler for us college students to develop ties with instructors. These connections with faculty, staff, organisation advisers, and alumni may result in an internship or research opportunity.

3. Create your resume and ensure that it is review-ready.

My current résumé must have taken me a couple days to prepare while balancing my college studies, activities, and meetings. When I showed it to my career adviser, he was pleased and stated that the majority of freshmen did not have as thorough resumes as I had. I was stunned, since my CV was simply in the conventional format and polished to the point where I couldn’t look at it any longer.

Your CV may be the most critical component of your application. Not only does it provide the employer with an overview of your accomplishments and talents, but it also provides an overview of who you are as a person. Before your interview, your resume is a representation of you, therefore keep it structured and polished often!

4. Be prepared for your interview with your A-game.

You’ve landed an interview! What happens now? I mean it when I say I was worried about my internship interview. My roommate was probably wondering if I was going to bolt out of our dorm and do laps around the building to work off my nervousness. However, after speaking with my now-supervisor, I discovered there was practically nothing to fear.

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Of course, nervousness is inevitable for any type of interview, but the fact that it was a phone interview boosted my confidence. Confidence is critical regardless matter whether your interview is in person or over the phone. To my mind, one of the most critical pieces of advice is to keep the dialogue professional rather than personal. Ascertain that everything you say portrays you in a positive, professional light rather than a more casual one.

Ensure that you have prepared questions for your interviewer in advance! I have to say that the most embarrassing aspect of the interviews that I have participated in has been responding to the “Do you have any questions?” section. Because, despite the fact that I had a lot of questions, I virtually always answered “No, sir! I don’t believe so! “yet, the interviewer could always tell when I was unsure.