Guest Post:
Helpful Tips for Getting an Internship in the Business World
Business internships can be some of the most difficult and competitive to land, but they might also be a requirement for students who are in business school. Rather than diving into the internship search headfirst, it’s better to learn a few professional tips and gain knowledge from former business students who have successfully landed an internship.
Utilize Your School Resources
There’s a very good chance that your business school will do all of the heavy lifting for you, but that’s only if you know where and how to look. See if there are any upcoming events that you can take advantage of where local recruiters visit your school to inform students of upcoming internships.
If your business school doesn’t bring in recruiters or have any leads for you to follow up on, there may be other career services at your university or college that you can use. If your school doesn’t know that you’re looking for an internship, they may not know that they need to help you or how they can help you.
Check With Start-Up Companies First
Rather than bombard major and well-established companies like every other business student, keep your eye out for start-up companies that more than likely haven’t even considering bringing in an intern for their industry-changing business approach. One thing to keep in mind with this particular tip is that it will more than likely call for a bit of extra work on your part in order to convince a new company that they should even think of bringing on or paying an intern. And on that note…
Make Sure That You Get Paid
If it’s at all possible, stay away from business internships that don’t pay. Companies that aren’t willing to pay you more than likely have no idea of what to do with an intern, which means that they more than likely have no idea of how to evaluate your skills.
Make Friends With Business School Alumni
Check with your business school to see where graduates are currently working and reach out to them to see if they have any leads on internships or if they can recommend you for an internship. Even if an alumnus doesn’t have any leads to offer you, there’s still a chance that they can help you in your search and point you in the right direction.
No matter what kind of internship you’re going for, you’re bound to hit a few walls and stumble every now and then. Keep your head up, keep searching, and keep your business wits about you.