5 Tips To Score Your Dream Internship!

Applying to internships may seem like a daunting task, but trust me when I say it’s worth it! Your college years don’t last forever (although we wish they did) and it is definitely in your best interest to gain as much as experience as you can before they come to an end. As a college senior, I’ve done many things to gain experience and I’m here to give you some tips so you can fill your resume, too! Internships help you learn a lot about yourself and what you want to get out of your career. My internship at bloom has helped me do just that! I am forever grateful to have been able to work in such a positive and comfortable environment to do my favorite thing: social media!

My time here at bloom has taught me that work can be fun if you truly love what you’re doing and have a great team to support you! I love that I am able to express my creativity and make amazing things during every shift. As an intern here, I had so much independence to focus on my own projects and contribute to all the different social media platforms that we have. Because of this, I now know that I want my future career to be very hands on and I know I want to workin a fast-paced environment. It is important to always keep growing and gaining more experience in the workplace and bloom has been a great outlet for me to do just that.

I hope these tips help you score an internship that you love as much as I have loved my internship at bloom!

1. Let Your University Help You

As a college student, there are endless resources for you to utilize on campus that many students forget about! One of those places is your career services center. Most likely, there are university employees and fellow college students waiting to help you find the perfect internship. They have connections to past alumni and companies that can put you at an advantage to other applicants. They also have the skills to help you write resumes, cover letters, practice interviews, and everything in between! Your university wants to see you succeed so reach out to them to get you one step closer to landing your dream internship!

2. Revise Your Resume

First things first, get your resume in tip top shape! Keep the design professional and triple check that everything is spelled correctly and has perfect grammar. Make sure that your experience is up to date and that your contact information is correct. Once you think it’s perfect, send it to everyone you know to review it. Parents, family members, friends, professors, old employers -- anyone who can give you feedback! Let them help you make your resume perfect before you send it out to ensure that you are representing yourself in the best way you can!

3. Don’t Skimp On the Cover Letter

Many people focus on their resume so much, they forget about the cover letter. The truth is, cover letters are so important because they can help you stand out from other applicants. This is where your personality can shine through and you can talk about your experience in more depth. Make sure to do your research on the company and include it in your cover letter. Do not send cookie cutter resumes to every company you apply to, you should be mixing them up for each individual company. Talk about what you admire about the company or industry and then relate it back to your experience. Your cover letter should be all about what you can do for the company, not what they can do for you! And remember, show those potential employers that you are a committed and enthusiastic applicant!

4. Practice Interview Questions

Interviews are nerve-wracking for everyone, don’t think you’re alone! I even find myself tripping over my words during interviews! However, the best way to ace that interview is to be confident and prepared. You’re not going to be able to know what questions you will be asked beforehand but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare! Practice some commonly asked questions (you can find some with a quick google search) and talk about your experience in the mirror so you won’t have to think on the spot as much. Read over your resume before an interview, it’s the perfect outline of your experience! And lastly, don’t forget to keep your head up, bloom girl! Employers are looking for excited, confident, and dedicated interns so make sure to show it!

5. Send Thank You Notes

This is my most important tip! Many people, once finished with the interview process, let the company make the next move- this is a HUGE mistake! Immediately after the interview, email every single person you talked to in the office. Tell them thank you, let them know you enjoyed talking with them, hearing more about the company, and remind them why you are the perfect candidate for the job. But, don’t stop there! Follow up again with handwritten thank you notes. I know what you are thinking, isn’t that redundant?! Yes, but consistency is key because now they won’t forget about you! Plus, they will see how dedicated you are and that you go above and beyond and want you working in their office!

Wishing you the best of luck on landing your dream internship!

Xoxo,

Nicole