Are you interested in the fashion industry, the latest fashion trends, celebrity fashion, or fashion design? Maybe your passion is for cooking, baking, writing or reporting? Perhaps you want to work in a hospital, work at Walt Disney World, or work at Faviana? Your dream job can be anything you want it to be and with some hard work and dedication you can achieve it! My ultimate dream job is to be a content strategist for Oh My Disney because I love Disney and writing, but I know in order to get there, I have to work my way up and that is what I am doing. Here is some advice I have gathered about landing an internship and hopefully this inspires you follow your dreams and fulfill your career goals.
Get Involved In Your Field
If there is one piece of advice I urge you to listen to, it would be to get involved in whatever you’re passionate about. If you want to be a baker, go to baking classes or join a baking club on campus. If you want to be a journalist, write for your college newspaper or start a blog. It doesn’t matter if your cupcakes turn out great or if your article accumulates a lot of views, but what does matter is getting started at mastering your craft and getting your name and work out into the public. Not only will you begin to gain recognition for your work, but you will have previous work experience to add to your resume which is extremely important.
Cater Your Resume And Cover Letter To Your Internship
Have a polished resume and cover letter is a crucial part of landing any job, especially an internship. There are thousands of college students applying for the same internship with similar skills and your resume and cover letter are what make you stand out. Depending on the internship you are applying for, I suggest editing your resume to make the work related experience you have that matches the job you are going for more towards the top of your resume. For example, when I was tweaking my resume for this editorial internship for Glam and Gowns, I knew that a lot of their content was related to lifestyle, health, wellness, beauty, makeup, and pop culture. With that information in mind, I put my editorial experience writing for Her Campus at the top. For those who don’t know, Her Campus is an online lifestyle magazine for college women. Following that I listed my other experience such as being Editorial Director for Spoon University and the founder of CelebrityHauteSpot. To put this broadly, put on top whatever you want the hiring manager to see first.
Most people have a standard cover letter, but it is important to tweak it in order to fit exactly what the company is looking for. The biggest tip I have for this is to look at the job description and skills the company is looking for and then focus your cover letter on those. For example, Glam and Gowns was looking for an editorial intern that was knowledgeable about fashion, had basic knowledge about SEO, and could work well in a team environment. In my cover letter, I made sure to highlight those qualities in relation to the work I have previously done because I knew that was what they were looking for.
Apply For The Internship
This might sound self explanatory, but it is crucial that you apply. When I was looking for internships, after looking at all of the postings I would get intimidated and not apply because I did not think I was qualified enough. I wasted a lot of time putting it off when I could have been putting myself and my work out there. A website I would highly recommend for finding an internship is called Indeed and it has thousands of job and internship postings that are updated daily.
Make A Good First Impression And Nail The Interview
If your resume was what the company was looking for, more than likely they will want to schedule an in person or phone interview. Don’t get discouraged if you do not hear back from the companies you applied to because you have to remember how many candidates there are and how there are so few spots. Just because you don’t get a call back, it doesn’t mean that you are a horrible writer, baker, etc. Trust me. I applied for over 30+ internships and Faviana was the only one that wanted more information. Even if I didn’t hear back, I know I pour my heart and soul into whatever I do and that is enough for me not to get discouraged.
I would suggest wearing business clothes for an interview regardless of the work environment because it shows how you are serious about the job and it leaves no room for the possibility of coming in underdressed. The classic long dress or pencil skirt and blouse should do as long as they are appropriate length and covering all of the right places.
You will most likely be intimidated at your interview, but it is important to showcase good manners and respect. Make eye contact with your interviewer, shake hands, say please and thank you, and overall just be friendly. During the interview, I would not suggest trying to perform a character that you think they are looking for, but instead be yourself and let your personality shine through. At the end of the day, what makes you unique is your personality and that is what most companies want.
If you get asked a question that you weren’t prepared for, take a second and try to come up with the best answer you can. Use whatever knowledge you have of the company and tie it into your answer. In my opinion, I think the interview is more to see if your personality will mesh well with other employees and if you fit the brand.
It is important that after your interview, you email the person who interviewed you just to let them know you appreciate their time and it will make you stand out from other candidates.
Check Your Emails And Messages To See If You Landed The Internship
Most companies will let you know via email or telephone if you landed the internship or not. It can take anywhere from a few days to a month for a company to let you know if you have been hired. If you get that congratulations email, that is incredible and now you will have the ability to use your talents and skills in the workplace. I suggest following up with questions about a potential start date and time as well as what to bring. If you didn’t land the internship, don’t fret. There are thousands of opportunities waiting for you and you just have to keep trying!
Fortunately, I landed an internship with Faviana at Glam and Gowns and I love it so far. I have learned so much about the fashion industry and working in a corporate setting and it is more than I could have asked for.
Let us know if these tips helped you to land an internship at your dream company by tagging us on Instagram @Faviana, and Twitter @FavianaNY.
Xo,
Casey
