eric tatro dot com

The New Year usually signifies the start of the “second
semester” at most universities and with the new semester come thoughts of
planning for summer internships. I regret I only had one internship while I was
in college, although that single internship prepared me more for “real world”
employment than five years of classroom learning. It also led directly to my
first job, where I was able to, in turn, interview and closely work with
college interns. Based on this experience, here are my five tips for landing an
internship, PR or otherwise:

1. Apply for non-paying positions 

The most sought-after internships tend to be those that pay
interns a stipend or by the hour, which is certainly understandable. However,
many terrific organizations have unpaid internship opportunities where the
learning potential is (excuse the cliché) priceless. Because they are unpaid,
these opportunities can fly under the radar and are often less competitive. The
skills you make and contacts you meet are well worth what can be an insanely
busy schedule for the summer.

2. Research the organization and the field 

Before you interview, at the very least visit the Web site
of the organization you’re interviewing with. It’s extremely likely the
interviewers will ask you what you know about the organization, and this is an
ideal opportunity to impress your interviewers with your preparedness. It also
shows you take the internship opportunity seriously.

3. Dress up! 

I was always surprised at the number of potential interns
who showed up to interviews dressed very casually. It’s understandable if you
don’t own a suit, but at least dress in a business-appropriate style, even if
the organization you’re interviewing with has a very casual dress code. Again,
dressing well shows you take the opportunity seriously and behave in a
professional manner.

4. Bring a portfolio 

By the time you start applying for internships, you’ve
probably had at least a couple years of college education under your belt.  That surely includes several projects and
class assignments. (You are saving that stuff, right?) Put five-to-seven
samples of your best work in plastic sleeves and snap the sleeves into a nice,
professional-looking binder. Number the pages and include a table of contents
at the beginning so the binder is easy to navigate. Now you have several
concrete examples of good work you’ve done in the past to show your
interviewers.

5. Ask questions 

You want your interviewers to know you’re enthusiastic about
the internship opportunity at stake, and asking questions is one way to
accomplish that. It also enables you to determine if the opportunity is the
right one for you – We’ve all heard stories of interns who did little else but
fetch coffee and run errands unrelated to their future career field. Ask your
interviewers about specific tasks you’ll be asked to perform and what projects
interns have worked on in the past. If you don’t like the answers and you are
offered the internship, you can always politely decline and look for
opportunities elsewhere.

BONUS TIP: Send thank-you letters 

After you interview, go home and write up thank-you letters
addressed to each of your interviewers. If you’re still interested, re-affirm
your interest and let your interviewers know your skills would be well-suited
to the position. Send the letters within 24 hours of the interview. It seems
like most intern candidates failed to follow-up with a thank-you letter, but
it’s a crucial step – It keeps you prominent in the minds of the interviewers
and demonstrates your commitment and enthusiasm.

Good luck!