How to Start Looking for a Spring Internship Now

By Danielle Wirsansky on November 19, 2016

It feels like winter has only just begun and spring is far in the distance. But students need to remember that spring actually starts in January for us!

You need to have everything squared away long before the new year rolls around. And that includes looking for a spring internship: you need to start looking now.

But how, you may be asking, and where do I even begin to start looking for a spring internship? Read on to learn the best ways to start looking for that spring internship now!

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Setting expectations

The first step of searching for the perfect spring internship is to figure out what it is that you want from it.

Are you okay doing the internship for school credit or do you need to make money? Are you okay doing it for no credit or money at all and just for the experience? How much time do you have to devote to an internship? What skills do you want to gain and what field of people do you want to connect with?

Do you want to work from home or in an office? Are you hoping this internship will lead to a job or are you happy to leave at the end of the semester? Do you want to work independently or on a team? Do you want to do more than get coffee and pick up dry cleaning and actually have experience behind that bullet point on your resume?

There are no wrong or right answers and everybody is looking to get something different from their experience. Just know what you do want out of it so that you can be sure to achieve it. Do not waste your internship opportunity by not making the most and getting the experience you wanted out of it.

Research

Once you know what you want, it makes it so much easier to find an opportunity that aligns itself with that idea. It is much easier to weed out opportunities when you know that school credit is not what you are looking for, that you need to be paid, or if it requires you to work from home when you want to work in an office environment.

When you have deal breakers in place, you can quickly go down a list and remove whatever opportunity is not going to give you what you need from it. It makes it easier to pinpoint and narrow down your search as well from the beginning so you do not have to wade through so many ill-fitting options.

Instead of just looking at an internship opportunity and thinking, “Hey, this might work!” you can do in-depth research to be sure it fits your needs, keep it if it works, and chuck it out if it does not.

Networking

Another great way to find an internship is by networking. You never know what someone might have up their sleeve — or what they might know. Be proud and talk about the career you want to have. Do not be shy and ask people that you know if they have heard or know of any opportunities.

Always be courteous when asking and be sure to make small talk before you do. But someone might know someone who has connections to another person that you would never have dreamed that they knew. Or maybe someone has an opportunity for you that you might never have realized aligned with your wants and needs and takes you in a completely different direction.

Never underestimate the power of friends, family and faculty.

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Resources

Sometimes you just need a place to start looking for an internship. Remember to check out your university’s career center and job boards. You can always start tracking down opportunities, place by place, but if you need to start broader, here are some resources to help you find your way.

Fastweb.com

“Fastweb is the premier online resource for paying and preparing for college. Since 1995, we have excelled in providing students with the resources to realize their educational pursuits, from the time they begin their college search in high school, to the day they land their first job after graduation.

How does Fastweb work?

Fastweb members are matched to relevant scholarship opportunities completely free of charge. With roughly 1.5 million scholarships worth more than $3.4 billion, there are scholarships for every student’s educational goals, activities and interests.

Additionally, Fastweb members can depend on us for insider financial aid tips, advice on high school and college life, as well as job and internship matches in their area.

Our success stems from our commitment to empower students’ lives through information and innovation, creating an environment in which the scholarship and financial aid industry is better defined and more attainable.”

Wayup.com

How to get started:

“Step 1

Students sign up for WayUp (always free!) and fill out their virtual profile. Meanwhile, employers create a profile and post a job (it’s free to post). Employers can be as specific or vague as they want with targeting students, so that only qualified students can see the job listing.

Step 2

If the job is approved, qualified students will be notified, and the matching can begin. Students can apply to the job (often through just one click, like a Common App but for job applications), and businesses can also search through our student database and invite specific students to apply.

Step 3

It’s a match made in heaven! (Well, actually, it’s made on wayup.com …) Employers will get the applicant’s full contact information, and can then contact the student directly to interview or hire.”

Uloop also offers internship opportunities — find them here!

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