How to land an internship I: Standing out during the application process

by Kaitlyn Dickson

Once you’ve narrowed in on a few internships at organizations you’re excited to work with, it’s time to prepare for the application process.

This is a competitive process, especially if many other students or young professionals apply for the same position. You can leave an impression by successfully presenting your unique skills and in-depth knowledge about the organization or industry you’re seeking to join, even amid a rush of candidates. Here are a few best practices to help you stand out during the application process:

Update relevant documents. Keeping your résumé, LinkedIn and portfolio up to date is necessary when applying to an internship. This includes reviewing résumé information such as GPA, skills, experiences and contact information to ensure everything is correct.

When writing about your experience on a résumé or cover letter, be specific about the impact you’ve had during different projects. This can be done by adding the amount of content you produced, the percentage of sales you increased, or the number of people you collaborated with, to name a few examples.

As for LinkedIn, setting up your page and personalizing it can make your profile enticing for hiring managers. Customizing your LinkedIn will also give others a window to view your personality, which will separate you from the dozens of others who may be applying to the same internship position.

Let it show that you did your research. When applying to different internships, it’s important to know what the organization is all about in order to tailor yourself to what they may seek in an intern. The more you understand the organization and internship, the more qualified you are for the role. Here are some questions you should be able to answer ahead of your interview:

• How does this organization make its profit?
• What does it do to achieve this?
• How does the description of the listed skills contribute to the product or service?
• What values and behaviors play into the company culture?

After understanding why and how the organization functions, you can customize your cover letter to look appealing for the position. This can be accomplished by adding past experiences and skills that align with the role, like sharing a time when you demonstrated your people skills for a role that will rely on effective communication.

Networking. Being able to make connections within an organization through LinkedIn or other outlets can be a big professional advantage. College networking may help you meet people who work or have interned there, so when you apply there are people who can speak about your credibility. Prior to applying for an internship, you should connect with the hiring manager, team leaders and current interns at the organization for advice on how to apply, or to simply show your interest.