Four Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Internship/Job Application Journey

By Paulina Aragon, Firm Director, Spring 2021

It’s hunting season; students around the nation are looking for their perfect summer internship or looking to start their careers after graduation. In this position myself and having gone through this process multiple times, I’ve gathered a few tips not easily found elsewhere.

Join interest groups

Whether you’re involved in groups on campus or like to scroll through LinkedIn, interest groups often share outstanding job and internship positions that you wouldn’t find elsewhere. These groups are usually tight-knit and will offer their best opportunities to those involved in the group.

Tracking numbers

When writing my resume, one of the most significant troubles I’ve encountered has been obtaining my work growth throughout my various experiences. Employers like to see through numbers and data how you made an impact on the companies you worked for. My biggest advice for starting would be to gather these numbers early on.

Connections

Since my first days in college, I’ve been told to network whenever possible. Though making the connections seemed to come naturally through classmates, professors and employers, I was never guided on what to do next. Although this could be a blog post within itself, I’ll hit you with my biggest one, personalization. Just like a client you might work with you want to know exactly who your audience is and what they need. This applies to those you’ve networked with; if you’re going to send out an email, be precise in what you are looking for and give your contact a purpose and meaning behind connecting with you.

Hit the site directly

Last but not least, and my biggest tip of them all is to apply directly to the company’s website and if they don’t have a careers page, hit up their inbox! From personal experience, I never hear back from those that I’ve applied through LinkedIn and instead have been able to proceed in the application process when I reach out directly.

As you continue your journey, these tips and tricks will change as industries often do, so make sure to stay on top of what may be changing and shifting through time. Best of luck to you!