Wherever you are in your educational path—high school, college or somewhere in between—the internship search can prove daunting, especially for those with limited professional experience. Drawing on my personal experience as a college freshman and a few handy tips from career resources I’ve found along the way, we are going to explore the internship process–without any skills required.
Play to (and Enhance) Your Strengths
To start, develop practical skills in the areas you are interested in finding internships. While the process of requiring experience to apply for internships–in an attempt to gain experience from the internship itself–may seem counterintuitive, there are a few ways to enhance your strengths beforehand. Volunteer work, personal projects and low-skill activities are great places to start without prior experience. If you have a particular skillset to offer, consider focusing on opportunities in that field and branching out from there! Additionally, try prioritizing projects that relate to your current experience level. For instance, as a college freshman, I avoided positions tailored towards upperclassmen, as they demanded higher skillsets than I could offer. Instead, I initially pursued opportunities that were less selective and targeted people of my grade. Remember, your first few experiences do not need to directly translate into your desired career path! Once you have acquired your first internship or skill-building activity, there is plenty of time to shift into opportunities more closely aligned with your goals.
Utilize Available Resources
While you accumulate some relevant experience, you can also utilize the resources available from your school, personal network or other commitments. College career centers typically offer job and networking events, alumni connections and career advising, but for high school students, guidance counseling may be your best option. Outside of school, you can build formal networks of career professionals, or informal networks with your personal relationships. During my internship search, I learned of many opportunities through friends, family and professors who were equally invested in my success. Finally, other organizations you work for may also provide training or career-related services, such as the opportunities page in the Schoolhouse tutor Slack. Aside from opportunities within the organization, you can learn about relevant internships or experiences from people in the workplace.
Alternatives
So, you’ve exhausted all obvious pathways to an internship and are still left thinking…“Now what?” If you haven’t gotten an internship despite playing to your strengths and utilizing available resources, it's time to get creative. If the position you want doesn’t exist, create it! Personal projects, such as an independent blog or small-scale initiatives, help you take charge of your path towards an internship. Additionally, through cold-emailing–a strategy of reaching out to professionals and companies to demonstrate interest–you can increase your chances of landing a position. Sometimes, cold-emailing can take the form of expressing interest in professionals, who then become resources and mentors for your career growth. For companies and employers, you can communicate the value of creating a certain position, and why you are the best candidate. Failing to land internships was incredibly disheartening for me as a high school graduate without experience, and–facing rejection upon rejection–I lacked a basic understanding of navigating the application process. With these tips, I hope you are better prepared to overcome the hurdles of the internship search.
Thank you to Milo D. for editing this article!
