Like jobs, internships are competitive.  While you may be working for low wages or even for academic credit only, the company is investing time in training you, enculturating you to the corporate climate, and supervising your work.  According to one local professional,

You learn things from an internship that you cannot learn from inside of a classroom. You learn things like how creative briefs are made and how copywriters work hand in hand with the design team. You really get to feel how it would feel having a full time job at a company from working an internship.

Below, find tidbits of advice from local professionals on preparing for the internship.

What would you look for on a resume?

Practical experience looks very good on resumes; however, it is difficult for students to balance school, work, and volunteer their time to intern or gain experience. Get the experience you need by doing what you love.

We look for someone who also plans to stay in the area—that is important.

I would suggest to be as honest and upfront as possible. The more you can say about yourself and what you want and what you can do for us in your resume and cover letter, the more we will take your resume seriously. And we do get a lot of them.

We look for crisp, effective writing. Accuracy. Honesty about actual experience. (In other words… I get it… people are just starting out and so they try to turn a summer retail job at Sunglasses Hut into something more than it is.  Be honest, though, too.

We’re more interested in the individual’s drive & motivation. We also like to see someone who was truly engaged in their college experience – involvement in activities, campus organizations, etc.

Absolutely no typos.

What are you looking for in a portfolio?

Being able to have your work at the interview and showing someone, “look I made this” is fantastic.  Being able to walk with the interviewer through your work is key. Show me, “I physically worked on something real.”

If you want to make and write commercials, but you don’t have any equipment, write up a script, and then have a story board that goes along with the script.  At your interviews, you can pull that out and show them that gets your idea across.

Every person has their own brand.  I’m looking for critical reflection:  I want strong rationale behind why you think that your work samples are good. I don’t just want you to say, “this is good because I think it looks good.”

What other tips will professionalize the young interviewee?

Get business cards! That is a huge thing, I don’t care if you can afford 5 or 500, they’re huge and important part of meetings. They’re something tangible to take back. If they contact you the next day or the next year at least they have your information.

 

What do you look for when hiring a new person?

Join student organizations that support your degree (and take any opportunity to speak with any guest speakers that may visit UMD).

Talent and Fit are the big ones.  Talent has got to be there.  Then, we want to know did you come about discovering that talent or how did you get here. Trying to understand the way that they think.Fit is huge. When you work here I want you to work here for a long time. When you work here; are our cultures going to match?

When hiring creatives, we don’t necessarily look for a degree. Creativity is kind of this weird beast. Some people maybe dropped out of college for whatever reason, but they have the stuff, all the talent is there. Then we have people who have degrees on degrees, and that’s great, but degrees don’t necessarily give you talent. It gives you function, but are you able to emote and feel something?

 

Interview like a professional

Dress as formal as you can, and be professional with your answers.  The interview process is becoming more and more of a causal encounter for students, and not all employers are looking for this approach.

After an interview, consider asking questions like “After meeting with me today and learning about my skills and experience, is there any reason why I wouldn’t be qualified for this position?” From here, employers will either tell you “no there isn’t,” indicating you are fit for the position. Or they tell you “yes” and elaborate on what you can improve on for future interviews with them or other companies.

 

What skills will help you land an internship?

Interpersonal communication is probably the number one. “I’m in the people business”—it’s all about relationships.

Ask good questions in interviews.  It’s important to come prepared, and go in with confidence. He says that no one should go in and be afraid of the work they have to do. You need to expect to work hard to do a good job.~Ryan Micke: RPM Solutions

Be imaginative!  Try to figure out and explore different opportunities that could be available even if those opportunities are not articulated immediately.

After the Interview

A great way to make an impression on the person who is interviewing you is to follow up the interview with a thank you letter. Though an afterwards appreciation email is good, it’s much better to write a handwritten letter thanking the interviewer for their time. Handwritten letters, notes and cards stand out much more from emails.

One local public relations professional still remembers each of the 25 people who have handwritten to her.  For the ones who did not get the job or internship they were aiming for, she still remembers them when new positions come up and contacts them about the new opportunities.

When you are ready for an internship, there are many campus resources to help you prepare, apply, and succeed.