Posts

How to Secure A Remote Internship

/in /by

Having an internship is an excellent opportunity for students or recent grads to gain valuable experience, earn real-world knowledge of their industry, and bolster their network. However, in today’s market, landing a traditional in-person internship position may be difficult. Thankfully, with 20% of internship postings mentioning remote work as of March 2021, there is still hope for students and new grads to obtain an intern role. Here are four tips to secure a remote internship in today’s competitive market.

Leverage your school’s career services

Whether you are finishing this school year in person or remotely, your university or school offers resources to help you secure a remote internship. Most schools have a career center to provide job search advice, resume workshops, and share relevant job openings/ internship opportunities. With remote internships gaining popularity, it’s even easier to find one via your school’s career services. Any employer can add their internship opportunity to the job listings and request the school to promote it. Plus, the professionals working for the school’s career services can help you tweak your resume and help you prepare answers to common interview questions.

Utilize your professional network

Did you know that 70% of job seekers find a new role through networking? Connecting with other professionals at your target employers or other professionals in your industry is a great way to secure a remote internship. Networking has never been so easy with everything going virtual. You may not see any career fairs for a while but connecting with others online is just as effective. Go on LinkedIn and connect with your friends, family, parent’s co-workers, other students, and alumni. Also, it’s essential to let all your new connections know you are looking for an internship. Make posts asking for feedback, leads, or other advice to help find one. Plus, make sure you let your LinkedIn network know you are open to work by activating this valuable feature.

Additionally, join groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media sites designed to join job seekers and employers. These groups are an excellent means of expanding your network and possibly finding an internship.

Hacking the job boards

If you are looking for a remote internship, you regularly review job boards in search of new positions. However, are you optimizing your search to make the most of your time and energy? Most of the leading job sites, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Google, have advanced filters to sort job postings by internships and even remote opportunities.

For example, Indeed has a job board completely dedicated to remote internship opportunities. Also, while searching for an internship on LinkedIn, you can sort postings by job type, and there is a check box for internships to help you refine your job search. Regardless of what site you are using, it’s essential to use appropriate keywords. Use words like “remote” and “internship” in your search terms to ensure the search results match what you are looking for.

Avoid internship resume mistakes

Last but certainly not least, you must craft a resume worthy of a remote internship opportunity. Creating a resume specifically for an internship is different than for a traditional job. As a student or recent grad, you likely have little industry-specific experience. Thus, you want to demonstrate your knowledge by adding courses related to the position, any certifications you have earned, and showcase your personality. To grab the attention of hiring managers, you need to show your interest in the position. But before you can do that, you need to tailor your resume to beat an ATS. If you aren’t taking the time to tweak your resume for each internship opportunity, a hiring manager will never see your application.

Need more job search advice?

These are four simple things you can do to secure a remote internship in this tight labor market. If you are looking for more job-search advice or resume resources, take a look at our candidate resources! We have hundreds of helpful guides to help you receive that much-anticipated job offer!

Internship Resume Mistakes to Avoid

/in /by

If you are applying for an internship, you are probably hard at work tweaking your resume and getting your application materials up to snuff. For many students, this is their first opportunity with a job in their future line of work. As a result, most job seekers in this situation are new to the labor force and are relatively inexperienced with assembling a bulletproof resume. Here are internship resume mistakes to avoid to propel you through the interviewing process.

Not adding course work and certifications

One of the biggest internship resume mistakes is students or recent grads failing to add relevant course work and certifications. As a young professional, you likely do not have a ton of related work experience to add to your resume. However, you can supplement your lack of experience with relevant coursework and certifications. Add a section below your education section labeled “Relevant Course Work” and list a handful of relevant classes. You can also do this with any projects or certifications that demonstrate your expertise in your field and show hiring managers you have pertinent experience.

Not showing details relevant to the position

When you are crafting your resume, you must tailor it to each position. In today’s competitive labor market for new grads, you have to customize your resume to fit the role you are applying for. That means you have to tweak your work experience details to match the job. Sorry, no more cookie-cutter resumes! You must tailor each resume with tasks, skill sets, and achievements relevant to the job. Even if it’s just a summer job, do your best to add and rephrase responsibilities to complement the job description. Doing so will show hiring managers your interest in the position and illustrate that your experiences and transferrable skills will make you a strong candidate for the position.

Not knowing what’s on your resume

If you put something on your resume, you have to be able to discuss it in an interview. Whether it’s a certification, a project you worked on, or a current class you are in, if it’s on your resume, you better be able to back it up. If you receive a job interview and a hiring manager asks you about something on your resume and cannot intelligently discuss it, that is a huge red flag. A certification or skillset may look fantastic on your resume, but if you cannot discuss it during an interview, it’s best to remove it. Review your resume before your interview and prepare yourself to answer any questions about items you included in it.

Show your personality on your internship resume

Last but certainly not least, you need to let your personality shine through on your internship resume! Hiring managers are, of course, looking at your skills, experiences, and other accolades. However, many of these basic skills can be taught on the job. After all, your education can only teach you so much. Companies are looking at your personality and how you fit on a team just as much as your qualifications. To showcase your personality, add relevant hobbies to your resume, a resume objective, and other details to give them a better idea of who you are as a person. You can also add links to your online portfolio or LinkedIn profile to allow employers to see a glimpse of your personality.

Still looking for resume advice?

These are a few internship resume mistakes to avoid as you prepare for this exciting step in your career. If you are looking for more resume advice, we have hundreds of resume resources to help propel your job search. Take a peek at these helpful tips and tricks, and good luck!

How to Make Your Virtual Internship A Success

/in /by

Starting a new internship is an exciting opportunity for many students to gain invaluable experiences and boost their post-graduate job prospects. However, virtual internships are becoming the new norm as students tackle this upcoming semester from the safety of their homes. An internship gives you a chance to gain some real-world experience in an industry that attracts your attention. Now, this experience may be different from your parents’ house or an apartment, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to make a strong impression in hopes of securing a job offer upon graduation. Here is how to make your virtual internship a success.

Connect with your new colleagues

Besides gaining work experience and putting your education to the test, one of the most important aspects of an internship is building your professional network. Establishing connections with your colleagues can have a lasting impact on your career and help take your job prospects to new heights. However, building these relationships can be more challenging with a virtual internship. As a result, you have to be more proactive about reaching out to people with your new employer.

Start reaching out to your new colleagues and introducing yourself. Send them a brief email giving them a quick background on you and your responsibilities in your virtual internship. Additionally, connect with your co-workers on LinkedIn. Pro tip: don’t just add them as a connection; send them a personalized InMail introducing yourself and express your excitement to work with that person. Building these connections early on will help make your virtual internship a success from the get-go.

Always ask for clarification

When working on an assignment or a project, it’s natural to have questions or be unsure about something. Never just assume what you should be doing. It’s much easier to ask for clarification when you get the assignment than to only assume something and finish it incorrectly. You want to put your best foot forward and complete your tasks correctly and on time. So, ask questions whenever necessary to ensure you are producing your best work! The end result will be better for everyone.

Don’t miss a deadline

It’s crucial to be conscious of all your deadlines. When assigned a task, ask for a due date if you do not receive one. Some companies will use scheduling software or calendar reminders to map out due dates. At other companies, you may have to be more self-reliant about your due dates. Get a calendar or a whiteboard and keep track of all your current tasks and due dates. This process will help you ensure that you are never late turning in a project or missing a deadline completely. In an office environment, you have more direct supervision with your deadlines. With a virtual internship, you have more independence, and thus, need to keep a closer eye on your calendar!

Are you looking to secure a virtual internship?

Are you looking to secure a virtual internship during the pandemic? It can be a little challenging to find one in today’s climate successfully. Lucky for you, we have collected a few tips to help you gain a virtual internship and receive valuable experience from home!

How to find a virtual internship
virtual

How to Secure A Virtual Internship This Fall

/in /by

It is hard to believe that universities across the country are already welcoming their students back. Some are returning to campus while most students are taking on their Fall 2020 semester or quarter from their homes’ safety. The pandemic has impacted more than the college experience and classroom setting – it has totally changed the landscape for students looking for internships. With more companies embracing remote work, students will likely have to look for an internship opportunity that they can obtain from home. If you are stuck in this boat, here are some helpful tips to secure a virtual internship this fall.

Don’t forget about your school’s career center

Even if you are starting this semester from home, your school’s career center is still available. Obviously, you may not be able just to walk in and ask for help from a career coach. Most universities are pivoting to offer the same experience and resources remotely. Visit your career center’s webpage on the university or colleges’ website and take advantage of the resources available to you.

These coaches can help you craft the perfect resume, assist with interview prep, and even help you secure virtual internships. Many local companies or organizations with strong alumni ties frequently post internship opportunities on your school’s student job board. So, just because you are tackling this semester from home, your school is still offering professional career advice and sharing job opportunities.

Partner with local businesses or non-profits

If you are struggling to find a more traditional virtual internship, you can partner with a local business or non-profit. There are thousands of local businesses and non-profits struggling right not due to our current economic climate that would love a helping hand. Make a list of potential organizations you think you can impact and offer your talents. Whether you are a proficient writer, social media enthusiast, or web developer, reach out and see if they need assistance. Consequently, there are dozens of ways you can impact a local organization with your talents from your home. Plus, you will be working with a real organization and be making a positive impact. So, it’s a win-win situation for everyone and a fantastic resume booster for you.

Tap into your school’s alumni network

Almost every university has a strong alumni network or program that you can tap into for virtual internship opportunities. LinkedIn or Facebook Groups are frequently a popular home for these networks. Reach out to alumni from your school and start networking. You might be surprised by how many beneficial connections you can build and job opportunities you can discover. Connect with specific alumnus within industries that interest you. Moreover, you can post in these groups and express your interest in virtually helping an organization. Utilizing your alumni network is an excellent way to secure a virtual internship and possibly even a job offer in the future!