How to find paid internships for college students
Getting an internship is a requirement for most college students, and for good reason. Internships are a great way to gain experience in the field you are studying, and they can help you realize what you want, or don’t want, in your future career. There is only one problem with internships: many of them are unpaid. There is hope though; it’s possible to find a paid internship, so that you are making money while also making great headway into your future career.
It takes a little more work finding paid internships for college students, but it’s possible. Loyola University Career Center director, Darby Scism, said that one of the most important things when trying to get a paid internship is to allow time and energy to find one.
“To find a paid internship you are going to have to look at least twice as long as you would an unpaid internship and you are going to send out at least twice as many resumes,” Scism said.
Scism advises going to your school’s career center to get your search started. You should also check the job postings at your university. Most universities have a network where employers post job or internship openings.
Another way to find paid internships is to look towards family and friends. Ask around. Family and friends could know of a cool opportunity that you would have never found without asking. When asking about internships, make sure to remind your family and friends that you are looking for a paid internship, and that any help in finding one would be welcome.
Facebook and Twitter also have a place in your search. Use your social networking to your advantage. Go on your Twitter or Facebook page and post or tweet about how you are looking for a paid internship, and if anyone knows of something. This easy step can lead to a great internship.
If you still can’t find a paid internship that fits your needs, go online. Internships.com, Monster.com and other similar websites occasionally list paid internships. Find companies that you like and see if it is a job posting section. If you can’t find the information you are looking for don’t hesitate to call the company and ask about paid internships.
Also with paid internships, try to widen the field that you are interested in. While it is good to find an internship that corresponds to your major, you should not limit yourself to just that major. You could find something great that you never would have found otherwise if you only looked at one field.
Medical, technology, advertising, accounting and business are the top fields to find paid internships for college students. AOL reports that these fields offer the most paid internships.
Also Scism added that people with certain skills are going to be more likely to find a paid internship.
“Computer science skills, accounting skills, financial analysis skills, those are going to be the type of companies that are going to pay their interns,” Scism said.
But even if you don’t possess these skills, there are still paid internships out there. They’re just harder to find.