Networking through other students, alumni and professional associations is a great way to get noticed and familiarize yourself with the way a prospective employer treats their employees and associates. Discussions about new technology, new venues and new directions an organization is considering is a great way of developing a line of communication, performing due diligence and collecting recognizance on a prospective employer. Don't start every conversation with a prospective contact with, “Got any internships?” - it's as productive as broadcasting and spamming your resume to human resource departments. Show interest in the organization and find out if it's the right choice for you. If so, utilize that contact as an introduction - a way to get your resume through the proper channels.

 

The way a prospective employer treats you during the recruiting process is a strong indication of how the company will treat you as an employee. Are phone calls returned? Are your questions answered directly and honestly (either by a manager, human resources or internal internship recruiting staff)? Any tremors you pick up in this process are signs of trouble and danger ahead. If you feel you are not being treated properly, then look elsewhere. “The quality of the interview process reflects the care the company puts into their workforce - this is, after all, your first major encounter with this organization. Their effort, professionalism and interest in you as an internship candidate should be evident.”

 

Rule #3: Keep your eye out for small nuggets.

 

Good things come in small packages. Most students dream of landing an internship with their ideal Fortune 500 company or the latest “dream team” - and most name brand companies do offer solid summer and internship opportunities. So too can smaller players you may not have heard of (yet). The close contact you can have with more senior employees in a small organization may provide opportunities that large companies are unable to - like sitting in on a board meeting or talking company strategy with the president.

 

“While I considered an internship with the giants of the Silicon Valley , I eventually chose a small firm in Vermont that built navigation computers for gliders. I had the opportunity to trim computer settings in the back of an airplane, being flown upside down by the president of an organization that eventually became a supplier to NASA.” - Noah Richmond.

 

Rule # 4: Drill deep.

 

Upon deciding that on a particular organization could possibly be a match, drill deep - reach into that organization. Find out what groups are searching for interns and who can make the hiring decision. Contact that person directly. Look at other avenues to introduce yourself and perhaps start a dialog or a chain of communication. Start with an e-mail, then a scheduled phone conversation.

 

After you have developed a dialogue and an internal relationship, ask your contact about summer work or direction through the organizations internship decision process. If your contact is impressed with your conversation and eventual resume submittal, that person will make it a personal point to pull you into the organization to work for their team, division or perhaps a peer or fellow co-manager.

 

Rule #5: When you hit a hard rock, drill around it.

 

There will be circumstances when interest in your qualifications will be high and interviews will go as planned. Complements will be lavished upon you and the prospect of internship will seem “in the bag” - but the path to stacking your claim is filled with marauders, thieves and sometimes that chuck of gold only ends up being fool's gold.

 

Budgets are lost, intern plans and directions change - sometimes, the management changes too. All of these situations can lead to a letter or e-mail telling you that a position or opportunity is no longer available to you. What happened? What went work?

 

Often, you never get an answer to these questions. When this “hard rock” gets in the way of your digging, simply dig around it. Hopefully during the interview process, you collected business cards and forms of

 

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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