Summer internship application deadlines seem to be creeping up earlier and earlier each year. This is especially true with the larger corporations. Application deadlines for summer 2018 internships with top consulting firms, tech giants like Google and Facebook and just about any investment bank have already come and gone.
I’m writing this post in the last couple days of February 2018, and if you’re interested in an internship with one of the bigger players, it wouldn’t hurt to start looking at summer 2019 opportunities.
Alright, so you missed some important deadlines and now you’re feeling wayyy behind. First of all, you’re here, and you’re reading this, so give yourself a little credit. Action is greater than no action, so let’s keep moving forward, shall we? Not all is lost.
Below are a few ideas you can still put into action now. Best case, one of them helps you secure a summer internship now. Worst case, they help set you up for internship success in the near future and continue to build up your initiative muscle in the meantime.
Get referrals from friends and family.
The application window may have already closed, but your connections can usually still slip your resume into the pile. As long as your friend or family member actually likes you and puts in good word with their company, these types of referrals can be very effective. (Fact: Companies love referrals.)
Approach and apply to smaller companies and startups.
They often leave their application windows open on a rolling basis and will take all the (competent) help they can get. Sure, they may not have the clout of Google, but Google once started as a startup too. Plus, you often get much more hands on experience with a smaller company because they need you to pinch hit on the regular.
Obtain some relevant job experience (and make some $$$).
For example: Maybe you missed the summer internship application deadlines with the Big Four accounting firms, but how about getting a paid position to help balance the books for your school’s summer athletic camps? Just think how great that experience will look on your resume when you actually do apply for internships. Even better, you can make some money and save up in case your next internship opportunity is an unpaid one. Double win!
Sign up for summer school.
Go ahead, get some of that coursework out of the way so that you are available for fall internships. You’ll likely have less competition to apply for the fall opportunities, and it will feel good to have completed more of those college credits.
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Bottom line, you still have options, but nothing will happen unless you take action. Going forward, don’t forget to check the websites for the companies you are interested in and mark those internship application deadlines down in your calendar. Give yourself plenty of time to work on your resume and applications so you’re not rushing last minute to get it all done.
And finally, I break down some top search strategies for finding internship opportunities on LinkedIn in day five of my free five-day course, LinkedIn™ on Lock!. Go here, and enter your name and email to get all the goods.
