31 January 2009

Waitlisted for an Internship?

Competitive internships may form a waiting list (or "waitlist") of those applicants who were "almost selected." And popular internships may do the same for applicants who were simply "too late."

If you are waitlisted, should you count on inching your way up the list? Probably not. Imagine yourself on the accepted list: would you very, very likely hang onto that internship? Yep. So, don't count on the people who got in to give up their slots.

Recommendation #1: Contact the internship and ask how long the waitlist is. It's also OK to ask what your chances are of being contacted later for an opening.

Recommendation #2: Search for another internship! Return to your original search notes and re-investigate the opportunities similar to the one you lost out on. Don't stop there—this is the time to broaden your category of internship, too.

The fact that your first choice is already filled may indicate that many other people had the same idea you did. Broadening the search is the smart thing to do, now.


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

24 January 2009

Know Before You Go

Got an interview? Or a phone interview? Know the basics about the internship before you reach the interview.

#1 Strategy: Read deep, meaning explore the web site of the agency thoroughly. Follow all links to learn the full story of the agency.

#2 Strategy: Read about the agency on other web sites. Run a search.

#3 Strategy: Read wide, meaning explore the general field. If your site is FEMA, there's a whole lot of information on the web about emergency preparedness. Become an expert!

If the Internet doesn't produce enough information for you, talk to a reference librarian. Just because college internship credits may not involve a lot of library time doesn't mean you cannot turn to the library for help!


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

17 January 2009

Summer Internships -- Start Now!


What do all summer internships have in common?
Application deadlines!

February 1.
March 1.
April 1.
You get the idea.
Don't expect to do this on May 20....

Reality check on what kind of resume gets shredded by the folks who hire interns: Joel on Software's story about how he sorts resumes.

As Joel says, his advice is not so different from every book on resumes you pick up at Barnes & Noble. But most books don't say it with Joel's flair.

Plan your "human" hook now! And watch your commas. These tips will make sense as soon as you read Joel's web page.


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com