InternshipRatings.com

Hey Interns,
 
We all know that there are many benefits from interning during your college semester or summers off. However, what it comes down to is getting your foot in the door and landing that job. Below you will find some advice from GlassDoor.com on how to turn that part-time internship into a full-time job.
 
Good luck!
-InternshipRatings.com 
 
Here’s a link to the full article: http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/turn-internship-fulltime-job/

By Michael Benstock

Chief Executive Officer

Superior Surgical

So you want to be an intern? You call the human resources department of a company and ask, “Do you hire interns?” They say “yes.” What do you do next?

Most likely you hang up and immediately begin to prepare your cover letter and resume without a second thought. However, you may have ALREADY forgotten a key component in preparing to present yourself to this company.

Consider this: before hanging up with the human resources representative, ask him or her “What is the company’s motivation for having an internship program?” I am assured by my senior director of human resources and by my own experience of 30 years that this question is (almost) never asked. It is probably the most important second question a perspective intern can ask as it will help you determine if you are a correct fit for the company’s program and if the company is preparing to offer a real learning experience or if they are more interested in receiving cheap (or sometimes free) labor. Also, if you get a thoughtful answer to that question you can better present yourself properly in the cover letter and to those who will interview you.

As you may already know, or as you’ll learn from asking the above question and experience, internship programs serve companies in many different ways. Sometimes it is how a CEO feels he can reinvest in the youth in his or her community– perhaps an opportunity offered to him when he was younger was life changing and he would like to offer the same for another person. Often times it is simply a means of filling jobs during peak periods (i.e. summer or holiday season). For many companies it is a recruitment tactic to help identify superstars, while other companies may offer internships to children of employees to increase employee loyalty. Whatever the reason, and there are many, it is imperative that you understand a company’s motivations if you want to be successful.

An internship is an opportunity to learn, to be part of a world that you might want to be a part of after you graduate and to be evaluated by people within a company so that you might actually land a job upon your graduation. It is an opportunity to hone your skills as an employee in a field that might be your chosen career. At the very least, the job you might be offered at the end of an internship once you graduate from college can be your safety net. However, before any of that can happen, you must get your foot in the door and get the internship. Here are some other tips for landing your dream internship:

· Put together a professional resume. You want to give the impression that you are actually looking for a job. There are plenty of writing tools on the Internet that will help you put together a great looking resume. When you send in the resume (whether e-mail or snail mail) don’t use emoticons or IM language in your emails.

· Follow-up. Make sure to call the company where you’ve sent your resume within a week of sending it. Companies often keep track of how often you call and how interested you seem. If they call or e-mail you, make sure to answer voice mails and emails promptly. Standing while you talk on the phone will often help you enunciate and avoid mumbling.

· Be proactive. If all else fails and you are unable to acquire an interview through normal processes, show up at the company’s door and ask if you can talk to the HR Department. Make sure to have your resume with you, dress in a manner that is appropriate for the world you are trying to enter, be professional, be cheerful, be positive, don’t be outwardly aggressive.

· Present yourself in a professional serious manner. It’s okay to be cheerful but don’t giggle. Prepare questions that make you sound interested in the job you are hoping to get. Research the company and the people who are interviewing you before you go into the interview. Google is a wonderful thing – use it! Bring copies of your resume with you; you never know if your interviewer has already seen it and he/she will appreciate you thinking ahead.

· Dress appropriately. As a matter of fact overdress a little bit, but not like you are going out clubbing. If showing the hair on your chest, your boxers, your thong or your cleavage could help you get an internship, then would you really want that internship? If you said yes to this question then don’t bother reading on since your chances of success are so remote. Dress conservatively and keep your areas of self-expression to an absolute minimum. Do not draw attention to yourself because of your eleven piercings, your tattoos or your face jewelry or your incredibly jelled spiked appearance or your belly ring or belly for that matter.

· Give a firm handshake and make eye contact. If you don’t know how to give a firm handshake then practice it with your friends or your parents. Look people in the eye when you shake their hands and look them in the eyes when speaking. It’s okay to blink, but it’s not okay to look out the window when they are talking to you. Sit up in your chair during the interview in fact lean forward a bit in your interview – it shows you’re engaged.

· Bring a pad and a pen with you. Take notes. Interviewers like people who are interested enough to write things down. Interviewers believe they are important and if you write down what they say they will know you also believe they are important. Don’t expect them to know that you have a photographic memory and don’t require taking notes (don’t tell them that either, it will sound too much like teenage bravado). Presumably you have been in school for a couple of years (whether you attended classes or not) so it is expected that you know how to take notes.

· Say the right things. You don’t have any experience…yet, but you have a lot of other great qualities. Tell the interviewer what they are. They probably aren’t going to ask whether you are resilient, have high energy, take direction well, can work independently, whether you are inquisitive (prove it by asking questions), that you learn quickly, that you are extremely adept at mathematics, finance or that your favorite class was psychology or statistics. Tell them, they want to know these things. They don’t care if you skateboard or excel at beer pong. Don’t call the interviewer dude. Ask them what they are seeking in a candidate.

· Write a hand-written, personalized thank you note. Make sure you do this for each interviewer immediately following the interview and send it that evening. They are interviewing more than one person for the job they are filling, set yourself apart from the competition. It’s ok to send an e-mail in addition to this, but do not send an e-mail instead of a hand-written note.

Lastly here is my advice to every intern, to every new employee and to my three kids who by the way all had incredible internships and now have great jobs. Do what you say you are going to do, always. That could be the subject of the next article some unsuspecting CEO might want to write about.

Samuel Talbott
The University of Iowa
B.A. History, expected December 2009

One of the best parts of having an internship while still in college is the connections you make with people in the workplace and beyond. But, one of the most important steps to take after leaving your internship is to keep these relationships and your network strong—not the easiest task while managing an academic calendar and perhaps a part-time job.

The hard part was getting the internship that you did, but your work is not through. You spent the time at your workplace taking in everything you possibly can in meetings, over lunch or coffee, around the office, happy hour with co-workers, every chance you got to grow you took it.

As your time winds down at your internship start to think about what you plan on doing down the road. Before the time for you to leave work arrives, make sure that you have contact information for your coworkers and supervisor and additionally for people you met while interning—believe it or not some of the best connections I made at my summer internship were formed in the elevator from our lobby to the office. Write thank you notes to all of the people in the office who had a part in shaping your experience. Not only will they be touched by your polite gesture but it also gives them another reason to remember you 6 months down the road if they can look at your note and recall the hard work you did.

It is also a great idea to give people your personal contact information as it is likely that you wont have access to work email when you return to school. This can be done in several ways. I am a big fan of personal business cards as they too leave a great impression and its nice way to keep track of people’s information. If you haven’t handed out business cards during your internship, no need to worry (but keep it in mind in the future), just keep a list of people’s contact email’s or phone number. After departing from your internship, keep in email contact with people you met during your stint. Build upon that first handshake a relationship that can work to your benefit as you enter the job market. Also be aware that many people may not remember you off hand so some foundational sentences are always good when starting correspondence:

“Dear Mr. X
You may not remember me but we met while I was an intern at XYZ and I wanted to write to say that I enjoyed working with you. As a student at Univ. Anywere I have been really interested in your line of work and was wondering if you might be willing to speak briefly to get any insight or advice you may have. I hope this finds you well.
Best,
Student”

Stay in touch with people who’s work interests you or who’s personal experience motivates you in some way. Take advantage of the web 2.0 world in which we live and once you have a comfortable relationship with them, try to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook (are your pictures job search appropriate?), or follow them on Twitter.
Most importantly, be sincere in your correspondence, don’t send an email every couple of months to say ‘hi’ if you don’t have a genuine connection, as that could sour the relationship. Just remember that the bridges you build and friends you make as you expand your network are only as strong as the effort you wish to put into them and the more time you take to foster relationships the more likely they are to help you out in the long run.

Sam Talbott is a senior at the University of Iowa from Santa Barbara, California pursuing a BA in history. He was named one of the American Express Foundation’s Nonprofit Leaders of America while interning at the Pan American Health and Education Foundation in Washington, DC in the summer of 2009. After graduating a semester early in December he hopes to work in development for higher education.

By Karla A. Stevenson
PhD Candidate
Department of Communication Studies
The University of Iowa

Sometimes a career in something you love could be right under your nose! It’s ok not to know what you want to do with the rest of your life right now – but interning is a great way to explore career options while not making huge, life-changing decisions. A good place to start is thinking about the brands you like, media you consume, and non-profits you support.
If there is a company you like, a product you use, a brand you can’t get enough of, or a cause you donate your time to, you might want to think about interning there. Even if it is not in the exact field you are getting your degree in, it’s a foot in the door and may give you the option of doing a second internship or getting an entry level job in your chosen field with that organization. After all, they will know you, know your work ethic and know that you have already acclimated to their company’s culture. So explore different possibilities within the same organization – it might lead you down a new career path!

For example: Say you’re a Marketing major and HUGE Miami Dolphins fan. You might want to explore possibilities with that organization, but even if all they have open is an internship in Sales, you might want to consider taking it. While you are there, give 110% to your sales internship responsibilities but also make friends with the staff in the Marketing Department while you’re at it. When the time comes for applications for Marketing interns for the next semester or summer, you will have contacts AND a knowledge of the organization that other applicants won’t have.

Plan of attack

1. Look on the company’s website and see if they have an internship program. If they do, follow the directions and apply. If they don’t, then call the human resource department and ask if they take applications for internships and if so, in what areas of the company. Also ask who the person(s) is that you address your cover letter.

2. Assuming you’re on Linkedin – you can search by company and see if you have any mutual contacts. If you do – ask them to arrange an introduction. If you don’t, spend some time looking closely at employee profiles. Find out where they went to school, what their majors were, and what groups they are members of. It’s ok to be nosy! There’s even a Linkedin application that allows people to post what books they’re reading. Use all this info to figure out what qualities you possess that they value!

3. Taylor your resume to the intern position in question, tweak your cover letter to argue that you are a great fit for interning there, proofread your resume and cover letter, convert both docs to a PDF and send that baby off! If you are mailing it in, remember to use nice, thick, expensive feeling resume paper.

If you don’t hear back in a week or so, follow up with an email or phone call.

By Laura Jacobs, Internship Coordinator
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Career & Leadership Development

As the spring semester wraps up, thoughts begin to turn towards summer internships. No doubt the most popular time to intern, summer provides ample opportunity for gaining career-related experience. Here are some tips for starting your summer internship off on the right foot.

• Contact your supervisor at least a week before your first day.
It is a good idea to check in with your supervisor in advance of your first day, especially if you secured the internship before or early in the spring semester. Confirm your start date, hours you are scheduled to work, and where to report when you arrive. You might also ask what the organization’s summer work attire expectations are for interns. If you ask about clothing far enough in advance, it leaves time to shop for a few more basics should you need them.

• Develop good habits right away.
It is much easier to establish good habits from the beginning of your internship than trying to erase bad habits later on. A good habit to establish is arriving to work a little early, so start this on your first day. This conveys responsibility and enthusiasm, and it will make a good impression on your supervisor and co-workers. How early is early? For one of my summer jobs in college, getting to work five minutes early was considered on time and arriving at the actual start time was considered late. I established really good habits that summer; you can, too.

• Observe everything.
Workplace insight is one benefit of an internship. Your internship site is your learning lab for the summer, so find out everything you can about it. Pick up on the workplace culture by taking note of how people interact with one another and how people dress. You will begin to learn what is expected of you and how to conduct yourself at work. What’s more, workplace fit is an important consideration for your permanent job search, and workplace culture is an important part of personal fit. Identify what you like and don’t like in your internship environment so you can figure out what you do and don’t want for your future jobs.

• Meet one-on-one with your supervisor during the first week.
You probably had reasons for seeking out this particular summer internship. Keeping those intentions in mind, schedule a meeting with your supervisor during the first week of your internship. Discuss your job duties and your supervisor’s expectations for your work. While it’s helpful to know what your supervisor expects of you, it is also important to let your supervisor know what you expect of the internship. Discuss YOUR goals for the experience. You may wish to write up a learning contract that outlines all of these areas (work details, expectations, and goals). Many of the internships I’ve observed that develop problems are ones in which there was not open communication between intern and supervisor. Get on the same page as your supervisor and hopefully ensure a positive experience.

• Practice work-life balance.
It’s summer. This is the season for spending time outside, hanging out with friends, and relaxing. However, you’re an intern now. Resist the temptation to relax too much in your internship. If you want to be a successful intern, it is important to put work first. You might have some pre-planned activities that you’ll need time off for, like a wedding or family vacation. This is alright as long as you inform your supervisor about it early on and keep time off requests to a minimum. Summer is short and it flies by quickly. You want to be able to spend as much time as you can at your internship in order to make the most of it.

Since I applied for my first internship in high school, I have listened to my parents tell me, “Finding a job or internship is half about what you know and half about who you know.” At the age of 16 I didn’t think about the weight of the advice they were offering. However, as I have gotten older and have had more extensive internship experience, I have noticed how on target they were. Keeping in touch with past employers and past interviewers has led to each of my following opportunities. And  when Lauren and I launched InternshipRatings.com, it was through contacts at previous internships and from networking events that led to discovering the members of our team. Following up and keeping in touch are two easy things that you can do for your career!

I encourage you to take Heather’s following-up  and keeping in touch tips to heart. I would like to extend these simple ways to stay on an employer’s radar to past employers and to past interviewers who may have not accepted you for a position. It is so important to keep positive relationships with these individuals, as you never know how they can help you in the future! Take a look at Darvika Sarin, the subject of a recent WSJ article, who was highly focused and followed through with each of her past summer internship employers and was  offered a full-time position for when she graduates!

–Stephanie

By Heather Huhman

Entry Level Careers Examiner

You’ve interviewed, sent your thank you note(s) and now you’re waiting (and waiting) for the call. I think waiting for the verdict after an interview is the worst part of the entire process. You’ve made it all this way—why won’t they just decide already?

The first way to help alleviate this feeling is to ask the following question during your interview: What are the next steps in the hiring process, and when and how should I follow-up? This way, you know if there will be yet another interview and/or when the organization expects to make its decision.

By Christine Daves

Director of Career Services

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

I always tell students that we need to have two conversations before they graduate. One is about their artwork - how can we promote it and develop their creative, fine art careers. The other discussion needs to cover how can they support themselves while their fine art careers grow. Good internships can help students in both of these areas. While learning about promoting artwork, networking with professionals, developing new techniques, and gaining industry knowledge, interns gain practical skills that can be an asset during a job hunt.

Every year I encounter a few students that purposely avoid my office because they assume that the Career Services office only refers to traditional, 9-5, Monday through Friday, ugly cubicle positions. Of course, after studying fine arts for four intense years, a student’s post-graduation intention is to practice it! As fine artists consider their revenue-generating options (because everyone has to eat, and fine artists usually need to buy supplies, and pay back those pesky student loans) it is important to remember that their career can be as unique as their artwork.

That said, a career in fine arts does not promise to be easy. One cannot go to the Sunday paper and find many listings for “Fine Art Sculptor. Make your own artwork. Great salary, full benefits, and incredible 401k plan!” Thus, to secure futures as fine artists, art students need to gain the knowledge necessary to effectively promote their fine art. They also need to build skills needed for jobs that can support them. After all, if there is no income they can’t make any art!

Students should start by examining their personal career goals and understanding of success. They need to consider what type of lifestyle can support them physically and mentally (to eat and be happy). 

Once long-term goals are articulated, students can consider what types of internships will be most effective helping them reach their professional goals. Most important, is that the artist selects an internship that will allow them real experience. Sitting at a gallery and greeting patrons won’t be as valuable as an internship that includes preparing press kits, sorting slides, or packaging and shipping artwork.

So where might fine art students intern? The most obvious answer may be a gallery. Interning at a gallery or exhibition space can teach students about handling artwork, hanging a show, marketing artwork, reviewing portfolios or making curatorial decisions. Of course, working at gallery receptions is fun and offers a great resource for networking.

Assisting established artists - preparing canvases, researching marketing opportunities, creating press kits, or helping with a large installation - gives students a lot of one-on-one time when they can learn about the professional’s career. In addition to understanding the industry and available resources better, students can also find out how the artist built his or her career and what it takes to sustain it.

Many fine artists find themselves employed in arts administration after college. When interning with community art centers, public art councils, or artist support organizations, fine art students can learn about opportunities and resources for artists and how such programs are run. For example, while interning at an organization that provides grants to artists, a student may be involved in coordinating the review process or meeting with the jurors. The intern can observe how applicants present themselves and later use that information when he or she is applying for his or her own grants.  

There are a lot of internships available at museums. Students may benefit from working with a curator, fundraiser, archivist, registrar, historian, or outreach facilitator. Many museums and art centers have classes that teach art history, theory, or technique. Gaining experience as a teacher’s assistant can be beneficial in preparing artists to teach in any number of settings. If a student decides to pursue teaching as a career, such experience may help them get into to graduate programs.

Props for theater, media production, or retail spaces employ people with skills in painting, construction, carving, and a number of other techniques. Internships in these industries can provide students with relevant portfolio material to aid in their job hunt. In addition to scenery, artists with painting and drawing skills may be interested faux painting or murals. Many communities have projects with independent muralists and a team of people working together on a piece for a public space.

Other areas of potential relevancy include model-making (for architecture or product development); art criticism (assisting a critic or writing reviews); developing surface design for merchandise; patterns for rugs, wrapping paper, or stationary; tattoo design; storyboards; courtroom drawings; illustration; screen printing; concept sketching; interior planning; metal casting; floral design; and any number of other things. Basically, any visible, person-made, object has been touched in some way by a creative person.  Sometimes the creative person is an intern learning how to support his or her career in fine arts.

by Ari Herzog

With approximately two months to go until some of you graduate college and enter the workforce and others seek internships, everyone is inundating you with information. Past articles in this column shared with you the importance of interview preparation, mistakes to avoid, and using internet applications.

Deviating from the above, I want to challenge your mind and ask why you have a resume. Don’t get me wrong, for you do need to show something to prospective managers and employers; but if the purpose of an internship (or any job) is to gain knowledge and experience, then why would you constrain yourself within traditional black ink on white paper just because everyone else does? Is your resume online? And, I don’t mean an uploaded Microsoft Word document. Is it?

If you trace the etymology of the 1804 French word, rÈsumÈ, it stems from the past participle of rÈsumer, which in English means to resume or to summarize. I donít know about you, but Iíd like to think my experiences, skills, and educational background are part of a running commentary on who I am today, how I improve myself, and where I am in my life–not a static summary of my past.

In an age when everyone uses the web to search Google, Facebook, and YouTube to discover quick-and-dirty facts, pictures, and videos about you, do you really want to condense your online persona to pieces of paper? When prospective employers ask for my resume, I point them to my LinkedIn and VisualCV profiles. Please click those links to see the difference.

I use LinkedIn to display a running reverse chronological list of my work experiences, like your typical resume displays, but I don’t go crazy by including bullets for every position. The nuts of LinkedIn are a combination of my summary at the top, an application showing recent blog posts of mine in the middle, and a series of recommendations at the bottom. You’ll see I’m connected to many people. So, when I come across a job listing (whether on LinkedIn or somewhere else), I search through my connections and their connections to see if there is someone who works currently or worked in the past with said employer. Then, I can send a message to my friend asking for a personal introduction. Make sense?

There is also a Q&A forum on LinkedIn, where you can demonstrate your speciality in a given subject by answering a question; and you can alternatively ask questions if you seek advice. If you just took a class on anthropology, that could make you into more of an expert than someone who doesn’t and is asking a question, right? If you just finished an internship working at MTV, that could make you more of an expert on broadcasting than someone else. Asking and answering questions is like peer review. The more questions you ask, the more people will click to your profile; and the more questions you answer, the more likely the questioner will appreciate your answer and mark it the “best.”

For more information on LinkedIn, I point you to Jason Alba’s blog (and book of the same name), I’m On LinkedIn Now What. He also created an application to help you track your LinkedIn usage, at Jibber Jobber.

I use VisualCV to duplicate some of my LinkedIn information, but in a much more illustrative way. Because LinkedIn does not allow outbound links beyond its “website” section, I needed a way to direct people to social networking sites I use, highlight some of my popular blog posts, show off extracts of LinkedIn and Twitter testimonials, and include some of my favorite quotations that help explain why I do what I do.

The neat thing about VisualCV–which I am not doing currently–is the ability to embed photos and videos and literally create an online portfolio. Suppose you’re a music student; do you have clips that you can embed? If you’re a fashionista, how about some pictures or videos of clothing you made and models wore? Wait, are you a model looking to go to the next level? How about a runway video? Tech students can upload screen shots of websites they worked on, showing off design elements. And PR students can create side-by-side examples of outstanding copy.

Maybe you’re not like me. You don’t have to use LinkedIn to display your work background or VisualCV to show off your creative flair. You can continue to use the paper resume, killing trees each time you or the prospective employer prints it. You can continue to constrain your experiences, skills, and educational background behind the same mechanisms your parents and teachers and employers used in their job searches. But if you’re already on networking on Facebook, sharing on Flickr and YouTube, and communicating with email and instant messaging, why not take it to the next logical step and use the web to show off who you are?

A few weeks ago, I had a phone interview with a HR recruiter at a leading Boston ad agency. The company had a Monster.com job listing, but I didn’t apply off Monster or on their corporate website. Rather, I determined on LinkedIn that one of my connections recently started his new job there. I reached out to him, explained I don’t want to create a standard resume, and could he forward my LinkedIn or VisualCV links to the recruiter. He did. While the recruiter had a hard time scouring my information–because it was in a weird format to her–we managed to communicate effectively and efficiently. Ultimately, I didn’t get the job but the system worked. The lack of a paper resume didn’t hinder me; and it doesn’t have to hinder you.

Ari Herzog is the principal of Ari Herzog & Associates, providing online media strategies for business and government. He blogs about strategies and tips at AriWriter and you can follow him on Twitter at @AriHerzog.

Christine M. Perry, R.Ph.
Pharmacist Recruiter
SUPERVALU Pharmacies

Business etiquette is made up of significantly more important things than knowing which fork to use at lunch with a client. People may feel that if you can’t be trusted not to embarrass yourself in business and social situations, you may lack the self-control necessary to be good at what you do. Etiquette is about presenting yourself with the kind of polish that shows you can be taken seriously. Etiquette is also about being comfortable around people (and making them comfortable around you!) Here are some business etiquette tips to remember.

Business Attire:
- Attire should be noticed as appropriate & well-fitting, but it should not take center stage
- If in doubt, err on the side of dressing better than you might need to
- Carefully inspect clothes for tags, dangling threads, etc.
- Men: belt color should match shoes & always wear long-sleeved shirts
- Women: don’t confuse club attire with business attire & keep makeup conservative
- Use perfume/cologne sparingly or not at all & you should not smell like smoke

Business Etiquette:
- Standing up to greet someone is always polite (especially w/ elderly, superiors, & intros)
- Shake hands upon meeting, doesn’t matter who puts hand out first, regardless of gender

Phone Etiquette:
- Answering the phone with a smile gives the caller a welcomed feeling & will generally result in a smother conversation
- It is never ok to not return phone calls

Party & Social Event Etiquette:
- Don’t even consider not going unless you have a justifiable excuse
- Stay long enough to speak to everyone there (if reasonable), at least an hour
- Be prepared with open-ended questions to get others to talk

Dining Etiquette:
- The purpose of the meal is to interact (eating is secondary)
- Follow the lead of your host or hostess
- Solids on the left, liquids on the right
- Always use your silverware from the outside in
- Never place your napkin on your plate
- It is best not to order alcohol even if the interviewer does
- Never criticize or state a dislike for a food that is served to you, instead simply eat foods you do like & make an attempt to taste unfamiliar foods
- Be discreet if you drop something on the floor or get something stuck in your teeth

By Kathleen Tellis

Director of Internships

Charles F. Dolan School of Business

Fairfield University

Students repeatedly ask, “Should I include a cover letter with my resume even though one is not required?” My answer is always the same - yes, if you can write an outstanding one and no, if you cannot. Some companies require a cover letter when applying for an internship, but many do not. Submitting a well-written cover letter along with your resume could immediately set you apart from the other applicants.

The following will assist students with the process of writing a cover letter.

Why write a cover letter if it is not required?

• Shows initiative and a commitment to put in extra time when required
• Provides an opportunity for introduction and to make a positive first impression
• Another tool to market yourself
• Can expand on information provided on your resume

What is the proper form of and content for a cover letter?

• Style should be a formal business letter
• Do not repeat what is already on your resume
• Write three short paragraphs
• First paragraph

o Show that you have done some research on the company or organization - mention some specific details
o Go on the company’s website and Google the company to learn more about them
o State why you are interested in an internship with the company
o What attracts you to the company - be specific (e.g. the product they offer, their commitment to corporate social responsibility, their management style, their creative marketing approach, etc.)

• Second paragraph

o What skills do you bring to the table?

• Opportunity to expand on skills listed on your resume (e.g. if you are a student athlete, you might expand on why you have excellent time management skills, or perhaps, how all those summer jobs of life guarding, babysitting, working in a restaurant have honed your people skills, allowed you to develop your self-confidence and provided opportunities to enhance your decision making abilities)

o Why do you think you are the best candidate for the internship?

• Third paragraph

o What do you hope to learn?
o What are your goals regarding the internship?
o How will the internship offer practical application of theories you learned in courses?
o Will the internship help to clarify your career goals, if so, how?

• Remember to say “thank you” in your closing sentence and give your contact information

What are some general suggestions for writing a cover letter?

• Do not use a form letter - write your own cover letter beginning to end
• Pay strict attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation - one mistake could cause it to be tossed
• Invoke spell check, grammar check and have someone else proof your letter
• Use language that reflects your education - don’t begin every sentence with “I”
• Be professional - don’t use slang or colloquialism
• Don’t ramble on - be succinct
• Show your enthusiasm, confidence and personality - interns bring a fresh perspective that is valued
• Offer to follow up with the company - turn the tables around if you are bold enough

Excellent written communication skills are not only highly valued in the corporate world, they are also required. It takes time to construct an outstanding cover letter but it is well worth the investment, especially when it results in an interview!