So I am no expert on landing internships but I have 3 seasons and 4 internships under my belt so far and find that I’m pretty great at staying organized during the intense application season. Here are my top 5 tips for you during application season this year.
1. Keep a tab on your browser for interesting companies.
During the year you may find companies you find worth working for. Having this tab allows you to bookmark any company’s website you may want to apply to in the future. It also gives you easy access to any companies you have already applied to. All you need to do is drag the web address into the folder. This way when you start to apply for internships in Jan-Mar you don’t have to start from scratch searching for companies, you’ll already have compiled a list.
2. Save your resume and cover letters as PDFs with your first name, last name and year
Formatting is super important when it comes to resumes and cover letters. If your document is out of line that could be a big problem. Saving the file as a PDF ensures that the way that you see it on your computer will be the way the employer will see it on theirs. Make sure to include your first name, last name and year on the file. Recruiters receive tons of application materials so getting a file that just says, “Resume” or “Cover letter” won’t help them. Including your first and last name and year will allow them to match the two documents for the future. The year can help distinguish past cover letters from current or future cover letters to the same place.
3. Create a folder for all of your cover letters with each document including the company’s name and year.
As you probably know, every cover letter you write should be unique to not only the company you are applying to but also the position in which you are applying for. Make sure you keep organized by creating a folder just for your cover letters. Here you can keep every copy of all of you cover letters for reference. I would include the original document with the company name and year and the PDF version as well. Another suggestion would to keep cover letters organized by year in separate sub-folders. Before your interview make sure you re-read what you expressed in your cover letter. Sometimes interviewers will address topics you discussed in your cover letter and you want to make sure what you expressed then matches what you explain in your interview.
4. Create a spreadsheet that includes all of the companies your apply to
Often when you apply to more than 4 companies things can a bit crazy. Create a spread sheet to help you stay on top of each application.
- Company name
- Position(s) you applied to
- Person you sent you application materials to or recruiter
- Company website or recruitment site
- Application deadline
- Date you submitted your application
- Any alumni that work for the company’s contact information
- If sent follow up email & the date
- If you’ve received interview
- Interview Date
- If you’ve sent a thank you letter & email after the interview
- Response
5. Prepare a “Thank You” letter and email template prepared for right after you interview.
After every interview you should send out a thank you email AND letter (snail mail) to the person(s) you interviewed with. It is helpful to have a template set up in advance so you can have a quick response. Make sure there is still room the add personality and information about the specific interview in your letter. Things to include in the template:
- Space for interviewer’s address
- Space for interviewer’s name
- Company name
- Specific position
- Restate key information about yourself and your interest in the position
- Mention any takeaway from your interview
- Your signature
I wish you the best of luck this internship application season. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Marissa Osowsky 