By Ilana Williams

Resume? Check. Cover letter? Almost finished. Practicing interview questions? Work in progress. Stressed out of your mind? Absolutely.

Although applications can be daunting, internships play a fundamental role in preparing students for their careers after college. Applying early, networking and nailing the interview are among strategies used by students who have successfully interned before.

Amod Mathur, a senior computer science major, interned at Blackstone, an alternative asset management company in New York City. Mathur said he learned about different finance-related work opportunities, and the job helped him narrow his career interests. 

“Everything you learn on an internship, or in a job, you’re not really going to learn in school,” Mathur said. “In school you learn a lot of the fundamentals and how to think.” 

To find an internship, talk to as many people as possible, do a lot of research on companies and learn about their interview processes, Mathur said. 

“Timing is everything,” Mathur said. “The earlier you apply, the much better chance you have. If you talk to a lot of people that have good internships, you’ll find almost all of them apply very early in the game as soon as August to September in the fall.” 

Katy Lawley, the career services liaison at the College of Information Studies, said while the best time to apply is in October, some summer internships are open as late as April. 

Students can feel intimidated when seeking internships because they think they don’t have enough work experience to compete with other applicants, Lawley said. However, recruiters already understand that, she said.

A strong resume helps students land interviews, Lawley said. She said prospective interns should include projects and involvement in campus organizations because they demonstrate skills that might be good for the position the student is pursuing. 

A good cover letter will humanize an applicant, Lawley said.

“The resume might explain you have two years of experience as a camp counselor, but the cover letter is where you can take the opportunity to describe how those two years developed skills such as problem-solving, flexibility and communication.” 

Lawley said networking can help students find opportunities not visible on LinkedIn.

“Networking helps enormously,” Lawley said. “If you have someone in your personal network and can directly recommend you for a job, that can already work in your favor.” 

When applying to multiple positions, it’s important to stay organized, Lawley said. She encouraged students to keep a spreadsheet of the positions they’re applying for and to copy job descriptions. Once applications close, descriptions can disappear. They help during a job interview, Lawley said. 

Last summer, sophomore computer science major Lalitha Kasi completed her first internship, at the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing. The organization teaches middle and high school students about computer science and technology.

This semester, Kasi said she applied to over 20 internships, including at financial services firm JPMorgan Chase & Co. as well as T. Rowe Price, an independent investment management firm. 

“It’s really easy to get overwhelmed,” Kasi said. “Especially when everyone around you is doing the same thing and you feel like the competition is very high.” 

Students applying to their first internships should stay focused and try their best in every interview, Kasi said. 

“So many companies are looking for different people who have different strengths and weaknesses,” Kasi said. “Just because you’re not fit for one company, doesn’t mean you’re not going to get an internship. It definitely will work out somewhere, and there are so many different options.”  

Meron Gebre, a senior public health major, applied to the Global Fellows program. The concentration she chose requires an internship. In spring 2020, the senior worked at the College Park City-University Partnership, a nonprofit organization. 

Gebre recommended calling organizations and asking if they have internship positions available. 

“Don’t be afraid to be proactive,” Gebre said. “Call different organizations that you want to work for, and ask them if they have internship positions open. It’s really important to also do your own research.” 

Gebre advised fellow students to be open-minded with opportunities — even if jobs don’t fulfill every one of their preferences. 

“It’s important to not put yourself in a little box,” she said.

Featured photo: Flyers full of opportunities crowd a bulletin board at McKeldin Library. Photo by Minnie Stephenson.