12 common mistakes students make when applying for internships (and how to avoid them)

Hey there, future go-getters! It’s Anita Jobb here from College Recruiter.

Grab a coffee—or a heavily caffeinated energy drink, I know how finals week gets—and let’s have a real talk.

It’s internship season. I can practically feel the collective anxiety radiating off college campuses nationwide. You’re stressed, you’re trying to balance Intermediate Accounting with finding a blazer that doesn’t smell like last semester’s pizza, and you feel like your entire future hinges on landing that perfect summer gig.

I get it. I really do. But here’s the thing: In my time chatting with recruiters, hiring managers, and career counselors, I’ve seen thousands of applications. And honestly? A lot of bright, talented students are sabotaging themselves before they even get out of the gate.

They aren’t getting rejected because they aren’t smart or capable. They’re getting rejected because they’re making silly, avoidable mistakes that send the wrong signal to employers.

Think of me as your cool Aunt Anita in the HR department. I want you to win. I want you to snag that internship that makes your LinkedIn profile pop. So, I’ve compiled the “Dirty Dozen”—the 12 most common blunders students make when applying for internships, and exactly how to fix them so you stand out for the right reasons.

Let’s dive in.

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1. The “Spray and Pray” (Generic Applications)

This is probably the #1 offender. You create one resume and one vaguely worded cover letter (“To Whom It May Concern: I want a job at your company…”), and then you blast it out to 50 different listings on Indeed in under an hour.

Why it hurts you: Recruiters have a sixth sense for copy-paste jobs. When you send a generic application, it tells the employer, “I don’t care specifically about you; I just want anything.” It looks lazy. If you won’t take the time to tailor your application, why would they believe you’ll take the time to do good work on the job?

How to avoid it: Quality over quantity, folks. It is vastly better to send 10 highly targeted, thoughtful applications than 100 generic ones. Tweak your resume summary to match the keywords in the job description. Write a cover letter that mentions why you specifically want to work for that company (mention a recent project of theirs, their values, or their news). Make them feel special.

2. Waiting Until April to Start Looking

Look, procrastination is practically a prerequisite for a college degree. I know how easy it is to say, “I’ll deal with internships over Spring Break.” But by then, many of the sweetest gigs—especially in competitive fields like finance, tech, and big marketing firms—are already gone. Some big companies start recruiting in the fall.

Why it hurts you: You’re left fighting over the scraps. You miss out on structured programs and are forced into a panicked scramble for anything that’s left, which often means unpaid gigs or roles that don’t actually align with your career goals.

How to avoid it: Start early. Like, “yesterday” early. If you’re reading this in September, start looking now for next summer. If it’s January, kick it into high gear immediately. Set up job alerts on College Recruiter so you know the second new opportunities drop.

3. The Typos That Haunt Your Dreams

A typo on a term paper might cost you half a letter grade. A typo on a resume can cost you an entire career opportunity. I’ve seen resumes for “Detail-Oriented Accounting Majors” that list their experience in “Finnance.”

Why it hurts you: It screams carelessness. Hiring managers think, “If they can’t be bothered to spellcheck a one-page document that represents their entire professional life, how are they going to handle an important client email or a complex data set?” It’s an immediate red flag that suggests a lack of professionalism.

How to avoid it: Spellcheck is not enough. Your brain will auto-correct your own mistakes because you know what you meant to write. Read your resume backward, sentence by sentence. Print it out and read it on paper. Better yet, force your roommate, your mom, or someone at the campus writing center to proofread it mercilessly.

4. Ignoring the Application Instructions

The job posting says, “Please upload your resume and cover letter as a single PDF and label the file ‘LastName_FirstName_Internship’.” You upload two separate Word documents named “Resume_FINAL_v12” and “CL_draft.”

Why it hurts you: This is the very first test of your ability to follow directions. Failing this test is basically telling the recruiter, “I don’t pay attention to details, and I think your systems don’t apply to me.” It makes their administrative life harder, and annoyed recruiters don’t schedule interviews.

How to avoid it: Read the application instructions three times before you hit submit. Follow them exactly. If they ask for a PDF, give them a PDF. If they want a specific subject line in the email, copy and paste it precisely. Show them you are coachable and attentive.

5. The “Brand Snob” Mentality

You only apply to Google, Goldman Sachs, and Disney. If you haven’t heard of the company, you scroll right past it.

Why it hurts you: You are ignoring about 95% of the amazing opportunities out there. Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are huge drivers of the economy and often offer better internships than the giants. At a massive corporation, you might just be fetching coffee for the person who fetches coffee. At a smaller company, you might actually be drafting social media strategy, sitting in on client meetings, and doing real work because they genuinely need the help.

How to avoid it: Broaden your horizons. Research companies based on the industry and the role, not just the brand name. Look for companies with good cultures that are doing interesting work in your field. A meaty, hands-on internship at “Mid-Sized Logistics Co.” looks way better on a future resume than “Paper Shredder Intern” at a Fortune 500.

6. The Unprofessional Digital Footprint

The recruiter gets your resume, likes what they see, and then Googles your name. The first thing that pops up is your public TikTok complaining about how much you hate doing work, or an Instagram photo from last weekend’s keg stand.

Why it hurts you: It’s hard to take a candidate seriously as a future professional when their online persona screams “permanent spring break.” Companies are terrified of hiring liabilities. They don’t want someone who will embarrass their brand.

How to avoid it: Google yourself right now in an incognito window. See what comes up. Lock down your privacy settings on everything personal. Change that Instagram handle from @PartyKing_99 to something normal. Clean up your LinkedIn profile and make sure it matches the professional persona you’re presenting in your application.

7. Skipping the Cover Letter (Even When It’s “Optional”)

Many application portals make the cover letter optional. Students see this and think, “Awesome, less work!” and skip it.

Why it hurts you: “Optional” in recruiter-speak often means “Optional for lazy people; required for people who really want this job.” If you have zero experience, the cover letter is the only place you can explain your passion, connect your coursework to the real world, and show a bit of personality. Skipping it makes you look like you’re doing the bare minimum.

How to avoid it: Always write the letter. Keep it concise. Don’t just rehash your resume. Use it to tell a brief story about why you love this field, or connect the dots between a class project and the skills they are asking for.

8. Focusing Only on GPA, Not Skills

You have a 3.9 GPA. That’s awesome, and you should be proud! But your resume leads with your GPA and lists every relevant course you’ve taken, with almost no mention of actual skills, projects, or previous work experience (even non-related work).

Why it hurts you: Employers care less about how well you take tests and more about what you can actually do. Can you use Excel pivot tables? Can you write code in Python? Can you manage a project timeline? A high GPA gets your foot in the door, but demonstrated skills get you the job.

How to avoid it: Highlight course projects where you applied knowledge. Did you create a marketing plan for a mock product? Did you build a financial model in a group project? Put those on your resume under a “Relevant Projects” section. List hard skills clearly. Even your part-time job as a barista shows soft skills like customer service, time management, and working under pressure.

9. Ghosting the Career Center

Your college has a building full of people whose entire full-time job is to help you get hired. You have never met them.

Why it hurts you: You are leaving free money—and expertise—on the table. These folks have connections with alumni employers. They know which companies love hiring students from your specific program. They can do mock interviews with you. Ignoring them is like trying to learn to swim while refusing to use the life preserver right next to you.

How to avoid it: Make an appointment this week. Bring your resume. Ask them for help identifying target companies. Ask about alumni networking events. Use the resources your tuition is already paying for!

10. The “Winging It” Interview

You land the interview! Congrats! You figure you’re good at talking to people, so you’ll just show up and be your charming self.

Why it hurts you: Charm doesn’t answer behavioral interview questions like, “Tell me about a time you failed when working on a team.” When you wing it, you ramble. You miss opportunities to highlight your strengths. You say “um” and “like” every three words because your brain is scrambling for an answer.

How to avoid it: Prep is everything. Research the company thoroughly. Practice the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for answering behavioral questions. Have 3-5 go-to stories from your classes, jobs, or extracurriculars that you can adapt to different questions. Practice out loud in front of a mirror or your cat.

11. The Silent Treatment at the End of the Interview

The interviewer asks, “So, do you have any questions for me?” You smile nervously and say, “Nope, I think you covered everything!”

Why it hurts you: This is the kiss of death. It signals zero curiosity and zero genuine interest in the role. If you don’t have questions, it looks like you don’t care enough to want to know more.

How to avoid it: Always have at least three prepared questions. Good ones include: “What does success look like in the first 30 days of this internship?” “How would you describe the company culture here?” or “What’s the biggest challenge the team is facing right now that an intern could help with?”

12. Forgetting the Follow-Up

You leave the interview, heave a sigh of relief, and wait by the phone.

Why it hurts you: You’re missing a final chance to sell yourself and show professionalism. A lack of follow-up can make you seem ungrateful for their time. In a tight race between two good candidates, the one who sent a thoughtful thank-you note often gets the edge.

How to avoid it: Send a thank-you email within 24 hours to everyone you interviewed with. Keep it brief. Thank them for their time, reiterate your excitement for the role, and maybe briefly mention one specific thing you enjoyed discussing. It shows polish and keeps you top-of-mind.

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Look, everyone makes mistakes. The job hunt is a learning process. But now that you know the “Dirty Dozen,” you don’t have to make these mistakes.

Take a deep breath, proofread that resume one more time, tailor that cover letter, and go get ’em. You’ve got this, and Anita is rooting for you!