Introduction
As a student, you always have different types of responsibilities. On the one hand, you have college life to manage, and on the other hand your social life. But there is one more thing to consider, which is your career opportunities.
In modern society, students are supposed to be ready for the actual world before they graduate. Accomplishing this task, they need some type of opportunities so they can get experience to be ready.
Doing Internships and co-op jobs is the most crucial way to be ready to join the future workforce.
Internships are job opportunities for students or any temporary job opportunities which require no experience. Internships are primarily for students. It is a temporary arrangement, for a few weeks to a few months. Here, students learn practical skills, get mentorship, and work on actual work or projects.
Internships can be paid or unpaid; it depends on the industry you are working in or as per the country’s laws. Internships are primarily about learning skills, getting first-hand experience, getting mentorship, and experiencing real work..
Some questions you answer first - why do you need internships?
Internships and co-op opportunities are great ways to build your resume before entering the job market. As the condition worsens in the job market, you must be fully trained before going outside college. That is why now every student is looking for internships. So they can get a certificate and work experience.
But let me tell you, this should not be the only reason. You should first determine why you need an Internship, what your goal is, whether it is for a learning experience or pocket money,
Make clear objectives, what is the reason behind doing this Internship, and why you want to do the Internship. And when everything becomes clear, you join the Internship; otherwise, if you are only doing it for the sake of what other people are doing, it is wrong. You might make problems for yourself.
So when you are mentally ready, then start looking for internships.
What do you expect from your internships?
There are a few things you should expect from your Internship.
- Hands-on experience from the actual project and from people who are experienced and capable of doing the work they are doing.
- New application of learning and hands-on experience
- Working on a goal and having oversight on your work.
- Getting feedback from mentors and correcting your mistakes
- Building a strong resume for your future
- Solving problems in the real world or helping to solve real problems.
- Getting recommendation letters from mentors for your career.
How to find Internships and Co-op Opportunities
As a student, you barely have time to do anything, but if you manage your time efficiently, you can have time for a few hours in the week to work as an intern. But the question remains the same: how?
Now searching for Internships is a little easier compared to a few years back. With the coming of remote work, work from home (WFH) getting an internship is becoming easier. There are different ways to get internships; Some of them are the options we are discussing below:
Search online
Now, you have search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others. Just put the query like where you want an Internship, which company, which field, or specifically an internship post. In just a few seconds, you will get the 1000s of internship options. This may take some time, but you will find your dream internship with an online search.
Using College Career services
You can go to your College career services and check the notice board or online notification board. Many times in cities companies, institutes, firms, shops, and businesses often require Interns. So they contact college or university career departments and tell them their requirements. You can always get help from your college career services.
Asking seniors and teachers
Sometimes, seniors and teachers know some excellent internships and co-op opportunities. If you let them know that you are interested in doing one, they might know someplace where you can get the internships.
Job Portals
Now you have multiple job portals that can help you get your desired Internship. Now, all big companies post internship opportunities on job portals. LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Flexjobs, and other local platforms in your country. These platforms can help you to join these internships. These job portals are usually free; you can apply for as many as you like. They can reduce the time to search for internships because they have search and filtering options.
Job Fairs
Sometimes, governments, local institutes, companies, or your college organise job fairs where you can go with your resume, give it at different company stalls, and ask them if they have any internship programs. You might come across a golden opportunity. It would be best if you always went there, you will learn a lot.
Companies Websites
Companies always post internships and job requirements on their websites. And if you go to famous companies’ websites or where you want to work, you might find some opportunities. Like Apple, companies always have Internship opportunities. And they post about them on their website’s career page. So you can check your favorite companies’ websites to see if you can find some opportunities there.
Best Internship opportunities for computer science students
Here are some of the best internship-providing companies, which also pay handsome amounts of money. They have multiple roles for students and are available all over the world.
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Hubspot,
- Amazon,
- Cisco
- Ford
- Intel
- Youtube
Doing Research
If you want to find your dream internship, start with some essential investigation and Research. Then, start the preparation for the application.
For this, follow this checklist.
- First, read the Internship description carefully And see for work details, responsibilities, paid or unpaid, amount of work, perks, and deadlines.
- Check for the learning scope, what skills you will need, and how your skills will be used and developed.
- Carefully check how to apply and what are the qualifications required.
- If you have your resume start filling out the application form otherwise, build a resume for yourself.
- Design a recent cover letter that includes all your expertise, your new experience or project details, and the Internship you are applying for.
- Prepare all the documents required to complete the application form, like your identity card, headshot, contact details, previous educational record, or any other specific information.
- Now, get ready with everything you need for the internship application and start filling out the application.
- Just read the application form and fill it out if it is online. Then, check it one time and submit it. If the application is offline, fill it out and send it to the company you are applying for.
Things you should keep in mind when applying
You are a student and need to learn how to fill out the application form or check out if the Internship offer is genuine. So you must be very careful while filling out the form or selecting the internships.
How will you do that? Always check the authenticity of the Internship and do a little research about the company offering the Internship. While researching, check for the company record, and look for reviews, culture, and location. Some third-party websites have genuine reviews about these companies, like Fishbowl, where you can read genuine reviews of these people.
Next, you should always have all your documents and permission letters ready. Because at some universities, students are allowed to take Internships or co-op jobs only after they have the approval of the college or university.
Check the deadline and act as per the requirements. Ask for help if you find it a little challenging to fill out the form.
When you fill out the application form, wait for the response and prepare for the next round. If possible, follow up with the person in charge and ask if there is news regarding the next round.
Preparing for the Interview
Suppose you fill out your application form correctly, and the companies find you qualified enough for the internship position. In that case, you will move on to the next level, which can generally be assessment rounds.
This round is generally about screening people. It is mainly based on a general or specific understanding of what you have learned in your course.
Some may give you a short assessment test, where you must perform some activities to be selected for the next round.
Now, the next round is generally about interviews. Companies only select those candidates who look promising for the internships. So, you need to be fully prepared for this round.
Remember this
Find out the mode of the Interview – Like telephone, In-person, or Video Call.
Next, if you are going for an interview or a video, then do the following preparations
- Get dressed
- Check the Internet
- Sit in a quiet place
- Remove all the clattering from the background
Now, Before the Interview, prepare yourself for the Interview by preparing standard answers, your Introduction, essential details about yourself, your resume, the Interviewing company, etc.
If possible, you should take your friend’s help to prepare for the Interview or use your phone or camera to record yourself taking the Interview and answering the sample interview questions.
Being prepared will take away all your anxiety and low confidence. And you will feel more energetic and confident.
I have seen students take internships only based on their confidence level. Only a few of the internships, like technical, programming-based, legal, architecture, specialization, need little knowledge. Otherwise, you do not need any prior experience.
Now, at last, you only need to improve your communication skills, which is very important in getting internships or co-op jobs or doing internships. Communication skills play a more significant role in shaping your future.
Facing Challenges
When You start thinking about taking up an internship or co-op job. Then you will see there are a lot of challenges in getting it. These challenges are significant, and overcoming them is essential.
Like how to get suitable internships, where to look, or to whom to ask. How do you fill out the application form when you get the Internship? If you get rejected from a place, how do you respond to these situations, getting criticized, building new relationships, and doing hard work?
You need to solve each problem at a time and not do any irrational work. Think and then respond. Ask for help when you face any problems, keep your confidence level high, and whenever you need help, go to your supervisor, parents, teachers, classmates Etc
Conclusion
Every student dreams that when they complete their college education, they go to companies and be hired by the companies without any problem. This can happen quickly if you have experience working on it. And how you will get experience by doing the internships. Then, the most critical problem will be getting a good internship or co-op job. And this should be easy. Following the standard system explained in the above guidebook, you can get your Internship quickly.
From searching for internships, doing Research about the internships, selecting them, filling out the application form, preparing for the Interview, and most importantly, preparing for the Internship itself.
Be prepared, ask for help, take suggestions from teachers and parents, do online Research, and join only those good internships for your future. So, if you follow all these steps carefully and take calculated steps in the right direction, you can have your dream internship.
