In the constantly shifting landscape of today’s job market, college internships have become so much more than just a bullet point on your resume. Internships provide invaluable real-world job experience and allow you to build practical skills and network. We talked before about the Top 4 Highest Paying Jobs for Gen Z, but we didn’t discuss how actually to get one of those jobs! Internships are one of the best ways to secure yourself a high-paying job after graduation.

Internships not only give you an edge when you are applying for jobs after college, but they also provide a direct pipeline to getting a full-time job offer! They also provide a great way to earn some income over the summer and bolster your college finances, as we discussed in our post about Graduating Debt Free. This post is your guide to understanding the value of college internships and how they can significantly impact your financial success. We’ll also cover exactly how to apply for, interview, and secure your dream internship. Then we’ll show you the secrets to getting a return offer and securing a coveted full-time job offer.

How to Get an Internship

Define Clear Goals

Before you embark on the journey of finding an internship, having clearly defined goals can be very helpful. Decide on what types of roles you are aiming for, and how they might relate to your full-time career path. Are you looking for research-related internships or looking for industry jobs? As well, think about what industries you want to work in, and better yet figure out a few companies you would like to join! These can go a long way in the planning process and can help streamline your internship search in general.

Network, Build Relationships, and Get Referrals

Being able to network and build relationships is a huge part of being able to get an internship. Take advantage of your college’s resources like career counseling and professional clubs where you can get advice and learn from others. Attended industry-related events and career fairs, where you can interact with potential employers and sometimes even receive interview invites on the spot. 

Referrals are also extremely helpful. Referrals are recommendations for a job from someone working at a company. They can be greatly beneficial, allowing you to get your foot in the door and to be taken more seriously, especially as an underclassman. If you know someone at a company that you want to apply to, go ahead and ask for a referral, as sometimes they will even get a cash reward if you do end up getting the job. Even if you don’t personally know anyone working there, you can ask friends or message school alumni on LinkedIn. It might be awkward to ask someone you don’t know, but the worst case is that they say no or ignore you. 

Networking can significantly boost your chances of landing your dream college internship and this can set you up for success in your professional career as a whole!

Perfect Your Resume

Your resume is the first thing that companies see when reviewing your application. It’s crucial to make it stand out, especially when applying for competitive internships since recruiters often only spend an average of 6-7 seconds reading each resume. A well-crafted and carefully thought-out resume can significantly boost your chances of getting your dream internship. Let’s discuss some tips to perfect your resume:

1. Keep your resume relevant: Prioritize keeping your relevant job experiences near the top of your resume. You can also include relevant personal projects, coursework, and volunteer work. If you go to a good school and/or have a high GPA, that can also be higher up on your resume.
2. Tailor your resume to the job: For each application, consider editing your resume to tailor more to the company and the role. Highlight skills and experiences relevant to the specific position. This shows that you’re genuinely interested and a good fit for the role.
3. Focus on your achievements: For the bullet points under each entry, be sure to focus on what you have accomplished rather than simply what your job responsibilities were. Be sure to use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments and impact, and highlight how your work benefitted the company, your boss, and other coworkers.
4. Quantify your achievements: One of the best ways to convey impact and your achievements at a glance is by providing numbers. These can be easily digested at a glance. So, whenever possible, include quantifiable results. For instance, instead of saying “greatly reduced latency” state that you “optimized an operation, reducing latency by 25%.”
5. Make sure your resume is skimmable and short:  As we said, recruiters spend very little time reading each resume, so making it short and to the point is essential. If your achievements and skills are buried in huge paragraphs, no recruiter will ever actually read them, so keep things concise and to the point

Perfecting your resume is an ongoing process. Continually update it as you gain new skills and experiences. Remember that your resume is a reflection of your capabilities and potential, so invest time and effort into making it as compelling as possible. Very importantly, make sure there are no typos or obvious grammar mistakes, that can make you come off as unprofessional and lazy. Once you have a strong resume in hand, you’ll be better prepared to get an internship first of all, and better yet, secure one that can impact your college finances and future career.

Apply Early and Often

The internship search process can be extremely competitive, especially for high-paying jobs like the ones we discussed in our post: “The Top 4 Highest Paying Jobs For Gen Z.” Thus, it is imperative that you start applying early. Internships, and jobs in general, fill spots on a rolling basis, so even if you’re very qualified, if all the spots are filled it’s impossible to get the job. Be sure to start searching for jobs early and submit your applications as soon as you feel comfortable. 

Once you set your sights on a specific role and industry, just start applying! To find jobs to apply to, you can browse public job websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor. These will have tons of jobs and you can apply very quickly, but it might be harder to get responses from these applications. You can also find curated lists for specific types of roles on Reddit or Discord, but you need to find the specific communities relating to your internship.

Another great tool is to use your school’s job portal. Many schools use Handshake, and employers post their jobs directly on there. All of these resources can be used very well in conjunction with each other, but if you have any specific companies in mind you can always apply directly on their website.

Apply to as many as you can, as after all, it is better to have a job and get some experience than to not have one. This is especially true for underclassmen since often you will be overlooked just because of your class year. In general, just apply as much as you can, it never hurts to send in an extra application or two.

Applying to Targeted Programs

There are also many programs specifically targeted at underclassmen, or historically underrepresented groups. So if either of those applies to you, you should consider applying to those programs as they will likely help your chances of landing the internship. Oftentimes, participating in these programs can lead to an internship offer at the end. Some examples of these programs are Google STEP, Google BOLD, and Explore Microsoft. These can give you opportunities that otherwise would be hard to come by. If you are eligible for these programs, don’t hesitate to apply!

Ace the Interviews

Now that you’ve applied to a bunch of internships and have secured some interviews, preparation is key. The technical questions will differ between the type of role you are applying for, so do your research on what kinds of questions to expect and be prepared. However, for all interviews, make sure to research the company and the role you’re applying for, and be ready to showcase how your skills and experiences align with the internship. 

One common thread among all interviews is behavioral questions. These questions ask about your soft skills like communication, teamwork, leadership, and handling conflict. To prepare for these, consider preparing a few different example scenarios you have encountered that can be adapted to many questions. For instance, prepare a situation you encountered conflict and how you resolved it, and think of a time you ran into a challenging problem and how you thought about solving it. Having some prepared situations that can be adapted to many prompts can go a very long way in acing the interviews.

Being well-prepared for all types of questions that can be thrown at you increases your chances of success. These skills will also translate to future job searches and will help set you up for professional and financial success. So, go out there, ace the interview, and get your dream internship! 

College Internships: The Key to Your Professional and Financial Success

Now that you know everything you need to know about getting a college internship, let’s discuss the major benefits of doing an internship. Getting a college internship is not just about filling your summer break and resume; it’s about strengthening your future job prospects and setting yourself up for professional and financial success. Internships provide you with invaluable real-world experience in your field and help you apply the concepts and skills you have learned in school. They allow you to have real experiences to talk about during your interviews and show companies you have knowledge and experience.

Bolstering your College Finances

Internships can also allow you to earn money during the summer. Some internships can pay very lucratively, like in software engineering, where internships can pay $50 an hour or more, or in trading or banking, where they can also pay $8000 a month or more. We discussed the finances point in depth in our previous post: “Graduating Debt Free: Managing Student Loans and Personal Finances in College.”

As you might expect, being able to make extra money in the summer can provide you with loads of benefits. Particularly, it can help you reduce the amount of student loans you might be able to take out. Especially if your internship pays well, any excess money can be invested to take full advantage of the power of compound interest or saved as an emergency fund. 

Return Offers: Your Fast-track to a Full-time Job Offer

One of the most beneficial outcomes of your internship is the return offer. Now what exactly is a return offer? Return offers are your golden ticket to a lucrative full-time offer. The concept is simple; a return offer is an offer that a company gives you at the end of your internship. Return offers can be for either another internship or to join the company as a full-time employee. These are very powerful since the internship interviews are often less intense than the full-time interviews.

First and foremost, having a return offer gives you a surefire path to a job, whether that is another internship or a full-time offer. Regardless of whether you truly want to work full-time at the company you interned at, just having an offer in hand at the end of the summer can give you an immense amount of peace of mind. You can also use it as leverage in your job search, allowing you to expedite interview processes or negotiate compensation and perks. 

Next, if you do choose to return to your job there are many benefits. The most obvious benefit is that you are more familiar with the work, skills required, and the company processes and culture. This can help you get a running start and do well in your full-time job and even can lead to faster promotion times. Furthermore, return offers often have higher total compensation than external offers, which can add up greatly over the long term. Lastly, throughout your internship, you likely would have built up a network of connections and mentors, which you can utilize as a new graduate. 

How to Get The Return Offer

Return offers aren’t guaranteed; in fact, they’re far from guaranteed depending on the company and the current state of the economy. Treat your internship like a long-term job interview and evaluation of your impact and future potential. Remember not to overwork yourself and stress yourself out, but be cognizant of what’s on the line. As an intern, primarily you just need to deliver your assigned work efficiently and with solid execution. Preferably, if you can deliver ahead of schedule and take on more work that will help you show more impact and commitment. 

Final Thoughts

Landing a college internship can be a significant turning point in your professional and financial journey. It not only offers valuable job experience but also plays a key role in advancing your career path. The skills you develop, the connections you forge, and the experience you gain are irreplaceable investments in your future and can pay off greatly. In the face of potential rejections and setbacks, remember that every step towards advancing your career and building your path to financial success counts. Stay focused, stay determined, and keep your professional and financial goals in mind when setting out on your internship journey.

Disclaimer: The content provided on this blog (Zooming to Fire) is for informational and educational purposes only. It represents the opinions and perspectives of the authors and should not be considered as financial advice. The authors are not licensed financial advisors, and no content on this blog should be in any way interpreted as professional financial counsel or advice. See more here.