Three Sure Fire Ways to Land an Internship

Studies show that less than 20% of graduating seniors will be employed right out of school. Yet 30 to 60% of grads who’ve done internships will get a job offer. Internships are a great way to get real life experience while you’re still trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up. And they’re an even better way to get an edge on the competition when it’s time to land that full time job. Here are three things that will ensure that you stand out.

1. It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know – If you peruse all of your social media channels the odds are good that you’ll find a connection to the company where you want to work. I always take note of a candidate who points out a shared connection.

2. Knowledge is Power – I’m impressed when a candidate knows enough about my business that they can use it to show me why they’re a perfect fit for us.

3. Follow Through – Consider that 80% of sales are made after the fifth point of contact. Then imagine – you’re actually selling yourself to this company. I perk up when a candidate sends interesting industry related articles, check-in notes and even sometimes gifts.

In this competitive job market, an internship is key. If I see that someone has done an internship it very well might be the deciding factor that lands them a full time job with my company. And our interns always go on to land great jobs.