Ace the Internship: Find the Right Internship for You

Are you on the search for an internship? I figured I would start a series about how to "Ace the Internship".
Today I'll share with you how I searched for, and am applying (that's right, still knocking those out) for a summer internship.

Prepare

Before I started searching I created an Excel spreadsheet to help with my search and keep everything accessible.  I have posted the columns that I created to organize the process, and broken them up into 3 parts. 

First:

 "Location": What company it is, and then what city. I only looked to places around Milwaukee & Chicago. 

"Due Date": This helps me prioritize which ones need to get done first. 

"Where to Send In": This is so I know if I need extra time to mail it, or to email it etc...

Second:

"Resume & Cover Letter": These two I grouped because I'm just going to check these off once I have finished them. 

"Writing Sample & References": If I need them I will place an "O" in cell, and once they've been finished and "X" will replace it. 

Third:

"Extra Notes": Here I put if I have a contact there, when to check back if they haven't posted an internship yet, or anything else necessary. 

"Status": I plan putting if its been submitted and how, then if I've contacted them again or been contacted. This way I know exactly what's going on. 

Search:

I won't be staying at school this summer, so I basically Googled firms in the Milwaukee and Chicago area and started from there. I also have a mentor in the industry who I've asked for more suggestions. 

If you don't want to trust Google, or want more options try your university/school's career services website or office. In my experience these people know their stuff and can really help. 

Apply

Now that you're organized, start applying! I couldn't give you great tips about a resume, especially because it varies industry to industry. This is where career services or your advisor would really be helpful. Make sure people proof-read your resume and cover letter before applying!

Set up deadlines for yourself, and just get down to work. If you have them in then you can just wait, instead of stressing about finding time once school picks up! 

Anything that has really helped you out? Are you excited for this summer?

xoxo

Ace That Internship Part 2: What to Wear
Ace That Internship Part 3: Interviews
Act That Internship Part 4: The Follow-Up
Ace That Internship Part 5: During Your Internship
Ace That Internship Part 6: How to Gain the Most From Your Internship Part 1
Ace That Internship Part 7: How to Gain the Most From Your Internship Part 2