How to Find a Summer Internship

Getting a summer job is very common, and it’s always nice to make extra money to support yourself. Some summer employment, like an internship, can also help you boost your CV/resume and career options. But the big question is always “how can you find a summer internship?” Here are our top 5 tips on how to find a summer internship.

1. Think about what you want to do. Think about the type of job you want, and if you want to work in your native language, or in English. If you would like to get an internship in a place where you know the language, think about what your interests are and what skills you have. Do you want credit towards a university course? Are you looking for a full-time or a part-time position? Are you good enough in the language to work?

2. Search cleverly. It’s much easier to find a job or internship by meeting people.  You can do this by taking courses with other people interested in working in your area.

Sometimes it takes meeting people at events, and other times you can use social media (like Twitter or Facebook) to make the right connections. Do your teachers know anyone that could help you? Do you have any friends or mentors at companies you would like to work for?

Visit career fairs in your area or in the areas that you would want to work, if you can. Talk to people who work in places you are interested in. See what types of positions they have available. If you are in school, there should be someone available to help you search for internships and lead you in the right direction.

Another way to get the right connections, especially if you don’t speak English well enough to work, is to take an English course that offers internship or summer job placement. Courses that offer English language learning and a professional internship can help you build your CV, make connections and gain experience with language and in business.

3. Update your resume/CV. Make sure that your resume is the best it can possibly be, and that all the information is correct, well written, and suits the positions that you’ve applied for. If you have never written a CV/resume before, ask someone for help! It’s very embarrassing to realize you have errors in your resume after you’ve already applied to the internship of your dreams!

4. Follow up after you submit your resume/CV. If you are very interested in a particular internship, there is no harm in calling or e-mailing to check on your application. While some companies do not follow up, there is nothing to lose by sending an e-mail or making a phone call one week after you submit your application. That is unless the application form specifically says “do not call”!

5. Keep applying! The more internships you apply for, the
better your chances of getting one. Don’t pick just one and hope for the best. Choose several internships, and you will get practice with writing cover letters, interviewing and speaking with managers. All of these things are valuable experiences, even if not every one leads to an internship.

If you could intern anywhere, where would it be? Have you had a great internship before? Tell us about it in the comments!