Getting Involved To Get The Internship

By Francine Fluetsch on December 20, 2014

This article is brought to you by Dream Careers, the largest global internship program for college students offering all-inclusive programs in 11 cities worldwide. To learn more about Dream Careers, please visit us at SummerInternships.com.

image via tostudents.com

Are you thinking of applying for an internship? Want to make sure that your application stands out?

If you don’t have a lot of experience in the actual field (since you would most likely need your degree first) you may be worried that your application will look just like everyone else’s. But there is hope! One of the best ways to land an internship or a job is to show that you are involved in things, and committed to them.

Let’s take a look at some clubs and organizations on/off campus that could help your application stand out.

Honor society:

An honor society will show your commitment to school big time. You usually need a certain GPA to get in (and luckily you are usually a member for life, so even if your grades slip later due to a hard quarter, you’ll still be in it), so this will gain brownie points with the internships as well as for applying to grad school and jobs.

A lot of the organizations, like the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, also participate in a lot of community service work, so it will show that you are giving back as well as being proactive in your education.

Something creative:

Show your creative side by joining an art or dance club. Diversity is great, so if you can show commitment to school as well as make time for your passion it will definitely help your resume stand out.

Artsy things demonstrate that you can think outside the box, that you could offer the company a new aspect, and creativity is always a bonus in everything.

Sports team:

Being part of a sports team definitely shows dedication. School is hard enough as it is, and then having to add time in for practice and working out, as well as games, it shows that you know how to manage your time efficiently.

Sports teams are also pretty close knit, so it shows that you are a people person and are willing to work with others to reach a common goal. Teamwork is not everyone’s forte, so if you can show that being part of a team makes you a harder worker, it will definitely play in your favor.

Sorority/Frat:

Though these are often acclaimed for the awesome parties and such, sororities and fraternities also do a lot of charity work, and some are even geared towards a certain major. If your heart belongs to science, you could join a science sorority or fraternity and be surrounded with people who have common goals.

It will show you are committed, as well as involved in the community. It also shows that you have good communication skills.

Tutoring children:

If you like kids, tutoring might be the perfect organization to join to get some experience on your resume. Teaching is a lot of fun, and getting to work with kids would make it even better. Showing that you are spending your free time helping others succeed will be a great asset. You’ll be someone that they look up to, and your supervisors will be able to write an awesome letter of recommendation for you.

image via http://striving4p31life.files.wordpress.com

Volunteer groups:

If you like helping the community but don’t want to be doing the same thing all the time, you can join a volunteer group, which will assign you/let you choose things that need to be done like beach cleanups, feeding the homeless, doing toy drives, things like that. You will gain experience in all sorts of areas, and since it won’t be the same every time, it will add some excitement to the work.

These are just a few suggestions, and if they don’t happen to be anything that you like, that is totally fine. But what I can suggest in general is to:

1) Join something you actually like doing:

Yes, you are partially there because you want to beef up your resume, but you will be spending a lot of time there and that would really suck if you despised your club/organization.

If you are a completely uncoordinated human being like me, sports are probably not your forte. Therefore joining one just for the experience would be horrible since you would have to endure all of the practices and games that you didn’t want to attend.

Volunteer work can also be pretty time consuming, and your superiors won’t write you as good of a letter of recommendation if the passion isn’t there. Plus, if you are having fun, you’ll be gaining experience and having a good break from the stress of classes, so it really benefits you to like it.

2) Do something that shows who you are:

One of the reasons you are probably getting involved in a club or organization is so you won’t be just another nameless boring face on an application. Therefore, the things you list to represent you should give a clear picture of who you are. Join a club or organization that you are proud of, that you are happy to represent and let it represent you.

3) And thirdly, try and have it relate to your field:

This one will be slightly more challenging, but if you can get involved in a club or organization that will directly relate to the internship you wish to pursue, it will give you much more of an edge, show your interest in the field, and show your passion.

For example: If you want to intern with a vet, try volunteering at an animal shelter. You’ll show that you love animals, and that you’ve worked multiple hours with them and with people who love animals just as much as you do.

So get out there, get involved, and get that internship!

Looking for a top internship in an exciting city? Enroll in Dream Careers and guarantee yourself an internship and a fun summer in your choice of 11 cities globally. To visit our website, please click here.

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