Applying for internships can be daunting. Here are a few tips to make it more manageable:
- Look through the OCS Internship Report Database on SIPAlink
In order to fulfill the internship credit, all students need to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about their internship experience. I found the OCS Internship Report Database on SIPAlink a great resource to get a better idea of what other students have done. (SIPA’s Office of Career Services, or OCS, is dedicated just to SIPA students.) Before I started applying for internships, I filtered through the different career fields and looked at what organizations or companies students interned at. If you see an internship that you’re extremely interested in, you can reach out to the student or even maybe the supervisor.
- Attend OCS’s concentration/specialization career panels and info sessions
Every week or so OCS sends out an email with all the career panels and info sessions they planned. Make sure to look out for the email and register for as many of the events as you can. It’s a great way to learn more about the field, talk to alumni, and make connections. I recently went to a resume workshop that an alumni led. He went through our resumes one by one and provided great advice.
- Reach out to Alumni on the Linkedin page
We have a “SIPA Alumni and Student Network” group on LinkedIn that, as of today, has over 8,000 members. I recommend reaching out to alumni to set up an informational interview. Alumni generally are very responsive and willing to help our their fellow Seeple. Please note that incoming students will be approved as group members beginning the week of orientation.
- Make a list of interesting places
We often have guest speakers in our classes who are doing amazing work around the world. I started making a list of organizations and companies I found interesting. When I was looking for internships, I started with that list.
Best of luck with your internship search!
