FIRST…
- Find what you’re interested in
- Research the position/career/industry
- Research those who have that position/have been in that industry, like the
interns/professionals
- Research what other types of internships/experiences the people who are in the
position/industry you’re interested in have previously completed
- Example:
- Let’s just say, if you are interested in an internship/career at NBC, type in Google:
“Internships at NBC,” click one of the first options and typically they will guide you to
opportunities. But it will take a bit of searching and dedicated time commitment – it is so
worth it!
- Also, let’s say you’re interested in an internship/career with something more specific at
NBC, like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Just research “The Tonight Show
Starring Jimmy Fallon Internships” (or jobs – depending on what you’re going for) and
results will definitely pop up.
- In any other company, this follows a similar format. Let’s say you want to intern at MTV,
you can type in the same thing, or you can scroll to the BOTTOM of their website page
where it should have a “Careers/Internships” section you can click where it should direct you to another page where you can get more information.
- RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH
SECONDLY…
- Create a LinkedIn account
- Uploaded valuable information about yourself
- Where you attend school
- List your achievements, involvement, previous jobs/internships
- Upload a professional photo of yourself
- Come up with a solid bio for yourself and what you’re interested in professionally
- Etc., etc., etc. It lays it out pretty well for you on what information you should put on your
profile.
- Look to other people’s profiles for reference
- Connect with interns/professionals in whatever industry you are interested in, and yes – you will NOT know them! LinkedIn (and job searching in general) isn’t about “Oh, I shouldn’t follow/connect with them because we don’t know each other,” it’s about your career and your professional life. And people understand that.
- *** This is CRUCIAL! In any business, your ability and experiences are important, but
knowing people, making connections, and networking in any industry is very important
too. ***
- Reach out to those in the business that you are interested in/want to know more about
- More specifically, if you want to connect with someone on LinkedIn (or in real life, too)
make sure you DETAIL YOUR INTEREST in THEIR position and what THEY do. Everyone
LOVES to talk about themselves and what they do, so typically people are more than happy
to explain what they do, how they started, etc. You won’t always get a response, but you
should get some responses. Typically, people like to help out those who are starting out in
whatever industry you’re interested in, because they too were once in your position. You
just have to really express your interest in THEM.
- Ask anything! Anything professional of course! Even if you feel stupid for asking. But just
know that THE ANSWER WILL ALWAYS BE NO IF YOU DON’T ASK!
- Example:
- Let’s say you connect with someone at Disney and the conversation is flowing wonderfully.
The person you’re talking to you is showing genuine interest in your questions, and you’re
showing genuine interest in their journey to getting their position at Disney. I would ask if
they knew of any areas that were possibly looking for interns OR open positions. They will
either say no, or they could direct you to someone else they know. YOUR IMPRESSION IS
EVERYTHING! JUST BE NICE, GENUINE, AND AN EASY HUMAN TO SPEAK TO!
- Research internships/jobs through LinkedIn
- Research companies through LinkedIn
THIRD…
- Build a SEXY resume!
- Research others' resumes
- Look through the different layouts
- See which fits your position you’re applying for best
- Example: If you are applying for an internship at a law firm, I would not recommend
trying to demonstrate your graphic design skills through your resume. They would
typically just want the typical, plain layout.