The year was, yeah, you don’t need to know that, and my college internship was as a promotions coordinator at a now-debunked radio station in Minneapolis. Now I can imagine you are reading this thinking, you lucky girl, I bet that was fun! If you consider driving a massive van around town, filled with crap and a million empty cups, going to events in weird places, and hauling things around, well, then yes, I was lucky. Now there were some perks. I met a few celebrities and did taste what it meant to be an event coordinator, which I wanted to do after school. It was an unpaid position, but I did get college credits for it, and more importantly, it was a job close to what I wanted to do, in the market I wanted to be in.
This experience was so valuable, even if at one event I had to sit at a used car dealership for a live remote or haul hair dryers in the Mall of America. It taught me responsibility, what an office setting is like, and that work is well, just that work. But most importantly, it helped me meet connections and get my first real career job when I graduated from college.
Forbes quotes a study that says a college graduate and working at a paid internship shows, 60% of the time, that internship will turn into a job offer.
If you are a parent of a college-age kid, have you asked them about their internship plans? If you are a college kid reading this, what is your plan? Have you started applying? Internships bring real-world experiences and help fill up a resume. Ideally, look for a paid internship and one that t college credits can be used to. Make sure to checked in with the career services department to understand credits and look for opportunities with alumni. Can you make any introduction to anyone in your network to see what openings they have? Ensure you or your student knows what areas they want to work in, which helps reach out to your network. The more specific you can be, the better.
Indeed lists of their top 12 reasons internships are beneficial. To get these beneficial internships, a quality resume is necessary. Do you have a resume that will stand out? Parents, does your child have one?
Make sure the resume is:
- Free of errors
- Shows a little personality
- Clearly articulates their jobs and activities, Captain of the golf team, make sure to list that!
- The resume should highlight the course load, any employment, volunteer positions, and collegiate sports.
If you are ready to start applying for internships, reach out to beth@naffbranding.com for a review and feedback for $49. Let’s tell your story and get you that first job.
Stay tuned for part two of this series as I discuss why you need to hire interns.
In today’s modern digital world, very few job seekers have the opportunity to physically bring a resume to a potential employer. Gone are the days of being able to take advantage of that initial face-to-face interaction with a smile, a handshake, and a witty anecdote.
Instead, you upload your resume and hope like bloody heck that it will make it past a gatekeeper and into the hands of someone who is in a position to hire you. I am here to help. I can give you advice and tips to improve your resume and get past the gatekeeper. Contact me for help in making your resume stand out and be the best that it can be.
The truth is, you likely have about one minute of someone’s attention once your resume lands in front of them, so make it count. With all you have to think about as you craft your resume, don’t lose sight of the small details that matter. Little things like the proper use of punctuation and capital letters are critical in this 60-second window. Don’t miss out on a job opportunity just because YOU COULDN’T CAPITALIZE PROPERLY. (Like that. Don’t do that.)
