How to find an internship you’ll love: Insights from UTS Alumni

Securing an internship is a valuable opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and explore their chosen industry. However, navigating the internship search process can be daunting. To help you find, secure, and make the most of your next internship, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide based on the experiences of UTS alumni. Find out when to apply, where to find roles, how you can set yourself apart from other candidates, and make the most of the experience.

1. When should you start looking?

Starting your internship search early can give you a competitive edge after graduation. It can also increase your chances of finding the right opportunity. For summer internships, most organisations start looking for candidates mid-winter, in July or August. However, while this is the peak recruitment season, there are internships offered year-round. 

“When the time came for me to find a summer internship, I started off with some housekeeping – I updated my resume, obtained a fresh copy of my transcript, drafted a cover letter that I could mould well, and I created an excel sheet with links to programs at different companies, important dates and other relevant notes.”

– Srishti Suri (UTS Bachelor of Information Technology, UI Framework Engineer at Westpac)

Make sure you look after yourself through your search. Finding a job can be stressful, so putting strategies in place early in the process to help you stay on top of everything can help to avoid job-search burnout.

2. Where should you look?

Finding internship opportunities requires exploring various channels.

“I volunteered as a Peer Networker under UTS Careers during the Autumn ’23 Orientation and applied to be an Orientation Intern with them during Spring ’23.”

– Abbygayle Santos (UTS Bachelor of Advanced Science, UTS Health Medical Receptionist and UTS Careers Project Officer)

When starting your search, take note of the resources available to you. This could include the UTS CareerHub, online job boards, and professional networks, to discover diverse internship options. You might have internship opportunities crop up through university classes too, so make sure your scope is broad.

Some popular job search platforms for students to find internships:

• UTS CareerHub
• GradConnection
• Seek
• Indeed
• LinkedIn

We also have a Job and Internship search workbook, where you can work through step-by-step activities and strategies to help you in your search.

3. How do you apply?

Crafting a strong application is crucial in securing an internship. Avoid sending out generic cover letters and resumes. You should tailor your documents to suit each application, incorporating key action words from the job listings. This can also help you if the organisation is using automatic screening tools.

If you’re a UTS Student, we have resources available to help you strengthen your resume and cover letters. You could screen your resume with Rate My Resume. Or, you could improve your cover letter writing skills with our Resume and Cover Letter workbook.

“I made sure that I modified my cover letters to suit the roles and organisations that I was applying for. I also made sure to submit one even if it was optional – internships are in really high demand and you never know when going the extra mile may help you to stand out in a large pool of candidates.”

– Srishti Suri (UTS Bachelor of Information Technology, UI Framework Engineer at Westpac)

4.      How do you succeed at internship interviews?

Navigating internship interviews can be nerve-wracking. But, with proper preparation, you can present your authentic self and leave a lasting impression.

“I wrote dot points and practised answering them out loud. It helps to sound conversational – recruiters are people too and they will be interviewing person after person – they don’t want to speak to a robot, they want to be acquainted with your authentic self.”

– Srishti Suri (UTS Bachelor of Information Technology, UI Framework Engineer at Westpac)

You should also do a bit of research on the company you’re interviewing for. Try to come up with some key things about them to intersperse through your answers. Think of some questions that could show your interest in their work.

Nervous about what questions they might ask? Check out one of our other recent blog posts on how to answer some of the most common questions asked during interviews.  

5. How do you make the most of your internship?

Once you secure an internship, you can try to maximise the experience and learn as much as you can on the job. Internships are the perfect way to teach you valuable skills. They give you the chance to learn things about your industry and professional environments that can’t be taught in the classroom. Embrace unexpected opportunities, and seek guidance from mentors and colleagues to make the most of your time.

You can also explore our other blog posts. Our How to Make it Shine in your next internship outlines some more tips on how you can make the most of your internship.

“Although my internship wasn’t directly related to my degree, I surprisingly found interest and joy in hosting and planning events. I never thought that I could host an event with 150 students!”

– Abbygayle Santos (UTS Bachelor of Advanced Science, UTS Health Medical Receptionist and UTS Careers Project Officer)

Conclusion

Securing an internship requires proactive planning, meticulous preparation, and adaptability. By starting early, exploring diverse channels, tailoring applications, preparing for interviews, and embracing learning opportunities, you can find an internship that aligns with your aspirations. Utilise the insights and advice shared by past UTS Alumni to enhance your internship search and make the most of your experience. Remember to stay resilient, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and strive for personal and professional growth. With these strategies in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on a successful internship journey.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash