Importance of Internship

When making it to the job market, some practical work background holds a very significant role. Working as an intern is one of the most advantageous ways to gain some working experience. In the competitive market of jobs, the employers want some percentage of freshers in the company, but a fresher with some internship experience is more likely to make it to the job as compared to the one without an internship.

Many colleges give a break of around two months for internship, so that the students can easily make a breakthrough to jobs. It helps the students as well to improve their skills, and implement the theoretical knowledge into practice. The internships also help young students to learn about specific industries and professionalism, apart from providing a transitional platform to move into full-time positions.

Have you been searching and applying for the desired internship but getting rejected? Are you not sure what the employers want from you as an intern?

Chances are that you are making some deadly mistakes while applying for an internship. Following are some of the common mistakes, and tips to avoid them.

Applying too late

If you are interested in an internship at that dream place, don’t wait for the deadline. A lot of people including college students and recent graduates are already searching and applying for the internships at the same place. The earlier you apply, the chances of getting selected get higher.

For example, if you are looking for summer internship, start searching about the target company and its policies about internship in the October of the prior year. It will help you to ensure that they don’t have super early deadlines.

The large-sized companies often have early deadliners, while SMBs (small and medium sized businesses) usually have February or March as the internship deadlines.

So, keep a track of the deadlines and apply as early as possible, without waiting unnecessarily.

Do you know What is the Right Time to do an Internship? Click and Read.

Long and Outdated Internship Resume

A resume is the first step when applying for an internship and the first point of contact with the company. Most of the resumes have the time span of just 10 seconds to catch the eye of a recruiter and that’s where they lack. For many of the students, it is mostly the feeling that they don’t have much to include in their resume and feel like their skills and achievements won’t be taken seriously.

But that’s not true guys. An internship resume, that has been tailored perfectly can help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

A resume that is targeted towards the specific internship will be looked again and again and will definitely be preferred over other candidates. Keep your resume short, not exceeding one page. Employers look for quality over quantity. List the most relevant experience, information about college and school, and some relevant skills. You can also create internship resume using tools like Canva where you get numerous resume templates. All that you need to do is to customize it as per your details.

Don’t Go Fancy with the Fonts

Yes, painting might be your favorite hobby but resume is not the place to showcase your fondness with colors or various style fonts. You want your employers to take you seriously which is why this professionalism must be shown in your resume. Check your resume a number of times for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and keep it updated on a consistent basis.

Not Sending Cover Letter

You must send a cover letter, unless the employer mentions not to do it. If you send the resume without a cover letter, the employer might feel that you didn’t give much of a thought to the application.

The cover letter is absolutely an add-on to your application. For better cover letter, go for writing it manually rather than filling the template of a standard cover letter. This way, you can mention exactly why you want to grab the internship position.

Not Following Internship Instructions Properly

Every company has their own set of instructions depending on the size of the company. One company might ask you to just submit a resume, while another one might ask you to submit the resume with the cover letter.

You have to strictly follow the instructions of the internship application. If the employer finds out that you have messed up with the instructions, it will ruin your impression, and the chances of rejection will get higher.

Applying to less number of Internships

It’s easy to apply for just one internship, and even better if you get selected, but the probability of getting selected is equal to the probability of getting rejected.

A couple of companies might seem more ideal to you, but what if they don’t select you? You always need a back-up plan.

So, when you start applying for the internships, make a list of the companies, and apply with specific resumes and cover letters.

Not Following up with the Employers

It can be one of the biggest mistakes if you don’t follow up with the company to check the status of application. Don’t sit back and relax just because you have sent the application with proper resume and cover letter. A company could have hundreds of internship applications to review and process. Your follow up with proper and professional tone can show them that you are keen for the internship. Wait for a week before following up, and ask if they have received your materials, or if they need anything else.

These are the most common mistakes you make when applying for an internship. And avoiding them can increase your chances of selection. Let us know in the comments below about your internship experience.

Also read, Should I do an Internship Abroad or go for Study Abroad?

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