In past years, the word ‘internship’ conjured up images of frustrated young men and women. Their assumed duties: pushing papers, doing grunt work, ordering food, fetching coffee (a la the disgruntled brunette in Legally Blonde). This doesn’t have to be the way it is! If you find an internship that fits you well, it can be the start of a great career path.
So where should you start?
As with anything, be a discerning customer about your internships. Do your homework. Find out what’s available and what fits your interests and needs best. Monster.com, of course, is an indispensable tool for exploring opportunities. FastWeb and The Princeton Review also provide free searches of internship information. In addition, check the websites of newspapers and magazines in the area where you hope to work. They’ll often feature localized job searches or classified ads. Google, as always, is your trusty sidekick in this process.
In addition, your college will probably offer online search services through the career planning and placement office. An in-person visit to this office will serve you well, of course. Still, its online tributaries can let in a flood of options for your quick perusal. You may also be allowed to post your resume on school-run sites, giving employers even more opportunity to find you.
How should you use the online searches? If you know your particular area of interest but not who deals with it, then type focused phrases: “biomedical ethics,” say, or “international trade.” If, on the other hand, you’re deciding among fields, type basic keywords such as medicine, law, business, journalism, academia. If you know of a particular company or publication you’d like to work for, simply search for its name.
