Landing the Internship 101

By: Ayrton Lopez
 
Final exam - check! Final paper - check! Summer is just around the corner and you’ve managed to remain sane during hell week (finals week). But suddenly you realize, summer is prime time for internships! 
 
Where to start? You haven’t touched your resume all semester, your LinkedIn is out-dated, and quite frankly, you have no idea what industry you want to end up in. Mom and dad are nagging about your future, and the only thing you want to do is binge watch Fuller House on Netflix.
 
The good thing is that you can find the Top 5 Tips for Acing An Interview and Landing a Public Relations Interview from one of the best, the intern queen! Check them out:

1. Make sure you know the internship you’re applying for
   1. When employers are on the look for potential interns, they write out a description for the position and what they look for specifically. They are literally writing out for you what they are looking for in fine print.

So say you managed to land an interview, it’s crucial you know what they are looking for because if you don’t meet the requirements they ask for, they’ll know you did not read the description and you’ve just wasted 30 minutes of their time.

Ask questions!

1. Have questions prepared so that it shows you’re interested in the company. The interview is yours as much as it is theirs. You want to see if this is even the type of company you want to work at or find out how they treat the employee’s. By asking questions, the interviewer will know that you took time out of your day to take the extra step and learn more about the company.
2. Have ideas on how you can improve the company
   1. Companies are always looking for new ways to improve the company. If they decide to bring you on to the team, they’re going to want to see what else you bring to the table. Again, research the company and the clients they have and come up with ways that your skills could benefit them.
3. Be flexible
   1. Essentially, you’re an intern. The whole point of you getting this internship is so you learn. Make yourself available so that you could learn everything you can from the professionals.
4. Seal the deal
   1. At the end of an interview, a lot of interviewers will ask “why should we hire you?” And that is your time to shine. This is when you show your true personality, if you haven’t already, and reiterate everything you mentioned throughout the interview.