Help Finding an Internship

Two or three times a year an event occurs that I call “Intern Season.” It’s that time when college students start actively looking for internships. The market is flooded with brilliant graduate students, touting their 4.0 GPAs, and all-too-familiar resumes. As an employer, it’s a good time. There are lots of well-qualified candidates. It’s not such a good time for the person seeking an internship. Competition is fierce. So, how does one find an internship?

Conduct a Self-Evaluation

What are your strengths and weaknesses? Realize that you have minimal experience, so you have to make up for that shortcoming with knowledge, skills, and attitude. Common sense tells you that the curricula in most IO/OD master’s degree programs are essentially the same. So, your coursework is not going to make you stand out, but it will show you are competitive. What other, relevant knowledge do you have that’s related to the field? Do you have business courses, leadership courses, finance courses, IT, or HR courses? If the company you want to work for is in a specific industry, do you have knowledge of that industry?

There are a few key skills that can separate you from the masses. Primary among them are leadership skills. Read The Leadership Challenge by Kouses and Posner. They list five practices of effective leaders that resonate with nearly every manager or executive. Can you cite examples of how you applied them at school, in your club or social organization, or in volunteer work? Creativity is a rare characteristic that is highly prized in organizations. Do you have examples of innovative ideas that you turned into tangible outcomes? The ability to present ideas precisely and interestingly is another highly prized skill. Cool slide decks with interesting transitions and images can win over someone who sees the SOS all the time. Exceptional presentation skills, especially training skills and eLearning skills are impressive. Can you create interactive eLearning programs? Can you design and deliver online training? Look at the companies to which you are applying. What are common knowledge and skills, that can be found throughout them? Emphasize them, as you discuss your IO/OD knowledge.

Change Your Perspective

As you may have assumed from reading the above, I am suggesting a change of mindset and perspective. Most students look at the job/internship market from their personal situation or needs. That’s okay if you were doing the selecting and hiring, but you aren’t. Some company is. Here are a few questions to ask and answer that may help you identify a company’s needs.

1. What is their business? What do they do and how do they do it? How do they make money at it?
2. How long have they been doing it? How competitive are they?
3. What are their vision, mission, goals, and commitments?
4. What obstacles have they faced? What obstacles are they facing now?
5. What can you do to help them meet their business objectives?
6. What are their growth aspirations? What are their long-term and short-term histories?
7. Of what are they most proud?

I read a post recently that said the person was having a difficult time finding an internship. He had tried and tried to get in with the “company of his choice.” I wonder if he thought about these questions and was able to talk to the recruiter about them and how he could help the company. Ask yourself, "What unique set of knowledge, skills, experience, and attitude do I have that helps the company achieve its goals?" To answer that question, you know a lot about the company, a lot!

When I was doing a lot of hiring, I was totally amazed by how little applicants knew about my company. When asked if they had reviewed the company website, they answered, "Yes, I skimmed it." Or if they said yes and I asked just some simple questions about the company, they couldn't answer them. What kind of an impression do you think that made? The applicants were so preoccupied with their own needs and wants that they didn’t stop to think about the company’s.

Yes, it’s a lot of work to thoroughly research a company, going to its website and taking notes, reading newspaper and magazine articles about the company, finding employees of the company on LinkedIn, and inviting them to lunch. Then, taking time to write a persuasive cover letter detailing how you can add value to the company. But it is worth the time and effort to show your interest and commitment to working with the firm. In all my years of hiring people, only a handful had taken the time to learn about the company and talk to me about the business and my needs. All of them ended up working for me.

Hopefully, this is helpful. I wish you every success in your search for an internship.