Career Center

How to Find a Summer Internship

1. Prepare Your Resume

  • Read the Resume Career Brief Handout.
  • Locate resume writing resources available in the Career Center.
  • Examine Career Center example resume (also located in the Career Guide).
  • Meet with a Career Consultant and have your resume critiqued.

2. Research Career Fields, Employers or Interest, and Positions

  • Explore your interests and have them assessed; see your Career Consultant to have the Strong Interest Inventory and/or MBTI administered and interpreted.
  • Examine what positions are out there. Look through handouts, books, and websites about career options for your major.
  • Access the Career Resources Library for career related books and employer directories.
  • Conduct research using web resources.
  • Network with professionals working in the areas that interest you.
  • Think about where you might want to work (geographic locations).
  • Attend job fairs on-campus like the BOC (Business Opportunities Conference), the TOC (Technical Opportunities Conference), the E-Site Start-Up Fair, the TIE (Technical Internship Expo), Job Fair 2002 (Sponsored by H&SS and the Heinz School).
  • Network with your parents, family, friends, professors and advisors, and let them know that you are looking for a summer internship.

3. Identify Opportunities at the Career Center

  • Register for TartanTrak and look at MonsterTRAK to search for summer internships. Also electronically —drop— your resume off for on-campus recruiting for internships and sign up for a mock interview to improve your interviewing skills.
  • Use Career Search (http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/CareerBriefs/career.html) on the web, a database of over 1.6 million potential employers nationwide. It can also be used to find potential internships.
  • Look through the library of resource books that the Career Center provides: --- America’s Top Internships: Includes over 18,000 internship positions. --- Peterson’s Internships: National listing of over 50,000 internships. --- The Internship Bible: National and international listing of over 100,000 internships. --- Several binders and books of internships for specific fields.
  • Set up an appointment with a Career Consultant to discuss internship opportunities.
  • Pick up information packets on resumes, interviews, cover letters, and more.
  • Go on the Career Center webpage at www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career and check out links to other sites for internships.
  • Subscribe to the b-board for information on recruiting and program announcements: cmu.career-center.announce and see you Career Consultant to get your college specific career b-board address.
  • Attend relevant Career Center sponsored workshops on topics including: internship search strategies, resume/cover letter writing, job fair tips, interviewing tips, negotiation tips, and more (for a completer listing, see the Career Centers homepage and the schedule of events).

Timeline

September (or ASAP)--PREPARE

  • Write a resume.
  • Have it reviewed by a Career Consultant.

Late September

  • Attend the on-campus job fairs. --BOC (Business Opportunities Conference): network and make contacts --TOC (Technical Opportunities Conference): network and make contacts
  • Attend relevant Career Center seminars.
  • Decide what you want from an internship. --Responsibilities/Experience --Geographic Location --Compensation

October/November—RESEARCH

  • Attend the E-Site Start-Up Fair and @pgh.cafe (Pittsburgh Technology Council)
  • Research companies to find internship and general information. --Internship programs --contact people --deadlines
  • Start watching and applying (depending on interest field and major) to postings on TartanTrak for summer internship positions
  • Attend relevant Career Center seminars.

December/January—NETWORK

  • Use your time at home to talk to your relatives, neighbors, and parent’s friends to find internship opportunities.
  • Contact local companies if you want to work near home and try to set up informational interviews, and get contact names.

February—

  • Attend the TIE (Technical Internship Expo)
  • Attend Job Fair 2002 (H&SS and the Heinz School)
  • Keep applying to positions on TartanTrak and checking out the b-boards for the most current listings.

February/March—INTERVIEW

  • Send your resume (if you haven’t already done so) to companies/organizations that you are interested in (if they are not coming to campus to interview).
  • Brush up with a mock interview by signing up through TartanTrak.
  • Be prepared—know what you will be asked and what you will ask.
  • Write thank you letters to everyone that you interview with

Late March—DECIDE/KEEP APPLYING

  • When and if several offers are made, know where you would like to work most and start the negotiation process.
  • Decide which company is best for you and contact them.

April — GET READY

  • Make travel plans and moving arrangements (if applicable)
  • Find housing in the area (if applicable)
  • Make sure you have all of the paperwork and employer needs/expectations in order

May through August — WORK

  • Try to establish excellent contacts within the company, field, etc for future networking purposes.
  • Be sure you are gaining the type of experience you are looking for, if not, seek the advice of a supervisor.