Your Summer Internship Search Isn't Over

As an undergraduate university student, you've likely combed on-campus internship fairs, networking events and Careers pages for the summer internship of your dreams. Some positions are posted as early as November (tech, investment banking) while others trail into March and April (entertainment, public relations).

By now, you may have applied to 10 or so positions with no word back. It might feel as if you've scoured through every existing listing, or are seeing the same posts over and over again. I've had the pleasure of working with Facebook, Lucasfilm, thredUP and USC - but can only say this after hours of searching and 35+ applications. To me, the summer search is half the fun!

No matter your qualifications, previous experience, industry preference or level of can-do-ism, I promise that your summer internship search isn't over! Hundreds of companies are still posting daily. Here's an inexhaustible list of 22 summer internship sources to rock your May - August:

Indeed

In my opinion, Indeed is king. This database is updated hourly and will help you catch/filter through recently posted jobs like no other. It will save your frequent searches (i.e. marketing intern - San Francisco Bay Area, film marketing intern - Los Angeles) and can email you regular results. My favorite feature? It shows you how many you've missed since your last refresh. FOMO solved.

LinkedIn

No-brainer! Not only can you use LinkedIn to seek valuable connections, but you can also find summer internships, see how many others have applied, and apply exclusively through the platform. Some are posted exclusively here - this is also a great chance to direct recruiters to your All-Star profile. Way better than a flat resume.

Remember: You don't need Job Seeker to look for internships on the site!

VelvetJobs

Sleek, simple and secretive - VelvetJobs offers a members-only experience worth writing home about. Though you won't be able to view full job descriptions until sign-up, you can always cross-search the titles on another search engine.

WayUp (Looksharp)

WayUp is typically a great source for campus ambassador positions, but can also be used for summer search. They recently swallowed Looksharp, so be on the lookout for major growth and hundreds of new postings!

Careers Pages

Get your information straight from the source - I recommend bookmarking the Careers or University pages of your top 10 companies and checking for updates every few days!

Google Search

Can't say enough good things about the good ole' google.com Search method. You can set daily Google Alerts for your favorite companies, too!

Jopwell

Jopwell is a platform designed to empower underrepresented ethnic minority students by exposing them to internships at companies like Adobe, Facebook and American Express - plus it hosts a neat feature that allows you to reach out directly to recruiters. And if you get hired through Jopwell? They'll pay you.

Internships.com (Chegg)

I think this one explains itself!

AngelList

If you like catered lunch twice a week, drawstring sweatshirts and getting caught in the rain, you might want to spend your summer supporting a burgeoning start-up! AngelList and their database of over 61,000 jobs can help.

Facebook

Keep your eyes peeled for the Facebook Pages of your favorite HR teams - they may share application tips or host live chats! You can also join or create a Group of undergrads from your school specifically geared towards sharing paid internships!

Twitter

The exact same can be said of Twitter - this is an excellent opportunity to engage with recruiters in real time!

Bistara

Some of my favorite work experiences (NAACP Image Awards, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books) have been projects! If project-based work is your specialty, Bistara's freelancing platform can help you find it!

Emma Bowen Foundation

A guaranteed, paid media/marketing/HR/journalism internship every summer of your undergraduate career? Freshmen applicants, look here!

The LAGRANT Foundation + T. Howard Foundation

Both The LAGRANT Foundation and the T. Howard Foundation are looking to advance the careers of minority students in business and media! Their reps do frequent on-campus visits, so check out their calendars ASAP.

Black News' Top 20

BlackNews curated an incredible list of companies and programs that are catered towards African American students that haven't been mentioned here. The list also supports those with "Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Multiracial or Multi-ethnic" identities.

FindInternships

Feel free to pour over FindInternships.com for even more programs that BlackNews didn't mention above!

Your University Career Site

Your university likely gathers summer internship positions in a database or newsletter - take advantage of these postings to exploit that school pride wherever possible!

Your University Career Center

Before there was internet, people stopped by in person to ask about new opportunities. Corny, but it could get you hired this summer. You may even be able to interview onsite.

Career Fairs

Tried and true - Spring Career Fairs are a great way to practice your elevator pitch and build genuine, in-person connections with recruiters and hiring managers.

Alumni Connections

No bad has ever come from shooting a professional, polite and prompt email or message to someone in your alumni network; both recent grads and established professionals can key you in on under-publicized openings at their companies. Most would also be willing to put in a good word for someone from their alma mater.

Professors

University professors are highly connected - they may know more about summer internships than you'd think. Stop by office hours to tell them of your interests; they are also an amazing, underutilized source of professional recommendations.

Phone a Friend

Finally, reach out to your friends. The summer internship search doesn't have to be a cutthroat competition. Your peers will provide some of the most honest feedback about working at different companies. From grabbing coffee for Conan to doodling with Disney animators, my friends' wild experiences have informed my app decisions every summer. As necessary, take them with a grain of salt.

Between these 22 sources, I'm sure you'll find your fit at a company this summer. Sound off below - what's your favorite summer internship source? Are there any you love that didn't make this list?

#studentvoices #internships #internship #university #undergraduate #hiring

Joy Ofodu is a junior Communication scholar at the University of Southern California with minors in Marketing and Spanish. She shares her experiences as a content creator at joyofodu.com and will be interning at Instagram this summer.