Landing Your First Internship

Large employers recruit summer interns in the fall, often closing applications before winter break. Smaller organizations hire in late spring. Build your résumé and LinkedIn profile in the term before you intend to apply, not the week the posting appears.

Coursework, projects, part-time jobs and volunteer roles all count when described in terms of results. Replace duty statements with outcomes: not 'responsible for social media' but 'grew a student organization account from 200 to 900 followers in one semester.'

One page. Reverse chronological. No photo, no objective statement, no graphics that confuse applicant tracking systems.

Track every application: company, role, date, contact, status, follow-up date. Tailor the top third of your résumé to each posting's keywords. Aim for volume with precision — twenty targeted applications outperform a hundred generic ones.

Use your career center, your professors and your alumni network. Most internships are filled through a warm introduction long before anyone reads the pile.

The goal of an internship is a return offer or a strong reference. Ask for feedback at the midpoint, keep a running record of what you delivered, and request a LinkedIn recommendation in your final week while the work is fresh.