Last Guide To Finding a Great Internship - Page 10 of 21
• Close your letter with a specific request. You will want to meet with the person to whom you are writing to discuss this proposition further. A meeting is important. Even if the company does not take you as an intern, it is still an opportunity to make a contact. Perhaps the person you meet can point you in a helpful direction. In your letter, let the person know you will give him or her a call in a few days. And of course, provide the right information for your person to call you.
4) Follow up.
If your letter said you would call at a certain time, then do it. If this whole concept sounds intimidating, you will be surprised at how receptive people usually will be to your proposal. Designing your own internship shows initiative and drive which may not be as visible were you applying from a mere directory listing or going through an established campus program. Initiative and drive are definitely qualities which a prospective employer wants in an employee!
More Short-Term Opportunities: Summer Employment
First of all, there is no law which states you can't go to school in the summer. Most summers I took at least a few classes, just to keep up the pace. However, if you are planning to get away from the campus entirely, there is a whole world of opportunity that awaits you.
Many students take a variety of odd jobs during their college years. I know I did. In my time, as I mentioned earlier, I worked as a law clerk, a pizza delivery guy, and a photo-lab technician.
I had friends who worked the same jobs full-time during the summers and part-time during the school year. That may have been a better strategy than what I chose, because after four years working at one place with the same group of people, my friends built some very solid relationships.
Your time in the summer or during any breaks is valuable and short-lived, and it is wise that you invest it more carefully, and with a greater goal in mind than just making a few bucks. Although money can be in many cases a serious consideration, it's not the prime one. Advancing your future career is.
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