What to Look for When Applying for an Internship

The real world is very competitive world and internships are an invaluable resume builder to stand out when job seeking after college.

More than One Internship
Recently, I have seen resumes of potentials applicants and many of them have had at least one, if not two internships. (Myself included, had two.) Multiple internships can help you figure out what you are interested in pursing in your career (a speciality or niche market). If you have the chance to intern at different places or industries, it will provide great insight.

Look for an Agency or Department
Sometimes an internships is offered by a business that does not have a department or full-time staff, this most likely means you will be on your own figuring things out. They can’t afford full-time professional help so they offer an “internship”, but there is no teaching or mentoring involved. Which is ok if you are a self-starter because you will gain a lot of real world experience, but you will also learn things the hard way and possibly make mistakes too.

No luck finding an Internship?
Then make your own, contact a small charity or local mom and pop shop, offer your skills pro-bono to build your resume, BUT create a very specific and limited project scope. Example, “One logo design and business card up to 5 rounds of revisions.” You do not want to be taken advantage, people forget or do not realize the amount of time and work involved.

Bottomline build your real-life experience and portfolio however you can.