Originally published in the Wabash College Bachelor
Sophomore and junior years are exciting. You’ve made it past the unknowns during your freshman year and are not yet under the pressure of post-graduation responsibilities.
This is no time to slack off.
Aside from excellence in academics and the core skills you are learning within your given major, your second and third year of college should focus on acquiring the ancillary skills that will land you the internships and experiences to help you stand out during interviews your senior year.
Skills beyond your major will be required. Some call these soft skills. I call them the top skills I’ve heard employers list year over year as the ones new grads are missing. The good news is you have time to develop these and be able to clearly articulate how you’ve used them when interview time comes.
- Critical thinking is a way of thinking carefully and skillfully about information that you get from observing, experiencing, reflecting, reasoning, or communicating. It helps you decide what to believe and how to act.
- Problem Solving the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.
- Communication is the act of sharing information. As digital natives, texting is something you’ve got down. Work on your verbal and written communication skills. Communication is a top skill of leaders in all industries.
Now that you are working on the technical and non-technical skills needed to succeed, it’s time to talk about an internship.
Why should I do an internship?
Practicum: Internships offer safe spaces to learn and grow. It provides an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in real-world scenarios. Through hands-on experience, interns gain valuable insights into their chosen field and develop essential skills for future success.
Practice: In many ways, an internship has all the components of a mini practice session for entering the workforce. There is preparation. There is an interview. There is work and potentially the pressure of work while balancing other responsibilities (classes, apartment rent, social life, etc.). The internship interview and work experience is like a practice run for the next step in your life.
Exposure: An internship not only gives you the opportunity to apply your classroom knowledge, but exposes you to work environments and cultures, mentors, managers and leaders. You get to observe the nuances (and politics) of navigating a corporate culture.
How do I prepare for an internship?
Self Evaluation: Spend some time alone thinking about what you value for your future.
Is money more important? Is controlling your time more important? Is it the work environment or corporate culture? What jobs and industries accommodate the type of life you want in 5 years? What brings you joy? What are you good at?
Write it all down and organize it. Align these priorities, values, and passions with industries or types of jobs (hint: nearly every industry has every type of job). This will guide you in figuring out what type of roles and organizations that could be career paths for you post graduation and where you might seek internships.
Top Tip: If you have not yet sanitized your social media, now is the time. Ensure your LinkedIn is inviting and professional. Clean up any social media. Delete that beer bong photo from homecoming. Privatize. Digital is forever.
Research: Ask faculty, advisors, and career services for references and assistance. Career services can help you align internships with your aspirations, practice interview skills, and offer you networking opportunities. They can evaluate your resume and help you find funding to help offset any costs of interning.
It’s important to understand, schools are not typically responsible for your success. You are. That means you need to do independent research too. Use job sites, LinkedIn, social media, and any networking you’ve curated during your first few years at school. Think outside the box and apply for internships you are interested in and those you might be curious about.
Are you focused on something or somewhere specific? If you don’t see an internship opportunity at a company or in an industry you are focused on, send them a note. Find the names of hiring managers or leaders, research those organizations and those leaders, and reach out directly. There are only three answers to a well-written and thoughtful request for an internship: “Yes”, “no”, and “not right now”. And “no” is really a “not right now”. You may need to send 100 emails. Each rejection is an opportunity to re-evaluate, adapt, and try again. If you want something bad enough, you’ll find the persistence and perseverance to get there.
Preparing for the Interview: Do your research on the company and the person interviewing you. This goes beyond reading a company’s website. Look up news articles about the organization. Be able to ask about recent achievements or recent challenges. Prepare questions that you are genuinely curious about.
Check out who else works there, where they went to school, and what their backgrounds are. This will give you a lot of insight into the type of folks they are hiring. LinkedIn could reveal the path a leader has taken to be in his current position or even something as simple as how employees dress in that particular workplace.
Show Up: Show up dressed professionally. If in doubt, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. That being said, every 19 and 20 year old doesn’t own a suit. That’s OK. Do your best with what you have. A smart pair of pants with a belt, a neatly ironed collared shirt, and clean shoes are respectable.
Be prepared with a notebook and pen and a printed copy of your resume.
For in person interviews, presenting yourself with a smile, a firm handshake, and good eye contact will make a solid first impression.
If this is a virtual interview, pay attention to what is in the background of your camera. A messy bed in a dorm room is not impressive. Find another space on campus that’s quiet such as a private study room in the library.
Pause before answering a question. It shows you are being thoughtful in your answer and gives you a chance to calm your nerves and think of an articulate sentence.
Final Thought: Humility has been cited as a skill missing from today’s new grads. Humility is the freedom from pride or arrogance. You do not know more than the guy who has been there 5 or 10 years. Be grateful. It takes resources to hire an intern. It costs money, time, and people. Managing an intern or internship program often is on top of the full-time workload of several people. They are doing this for you as much as for themselves. Be humble. Be grateful. Ask good questions then stop talking and listen, observe, and evaluate. LEARN. After all, that’s what internships are for.