Getting your first internship or full-time job is HARD! Do not fret because I will give you some tools and resources to help you figure it out.
If you’re in college and that time has come to find an internship or you’re about to graduate and looking for a full-time job, you’ve come to the right place.
Looking for a job can be a pain in the a$$, especially if it’s your first.
Here are tips and tricks on how to land your first internship or full-time job:
1. Attend Professional Conferences
I got my very first internship from attending the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). These conferences allow you to meet new people and expand your network. You get live interactions with company recruiters, leading to a higher chance of getting interviews on the spot.
You learn a lot about what’s going on in the industry and the corporate world. There are sessions for advice, hands-on workshops, guest speaker sessions, etc. There are so many conferences that cater to people with various skills or majors.
Some of them are very specific to who they recruit. They usually happen in different cities for a number of days. The professional organizations usually have a college chapter so make sure to find out which ones are available in your school. They occur at different seasons in the year. They require membership which can be obtained through your school if you’re a student. If you’re a professional, ask your company to sponsor your trip or apply for the conference’s scholarship.
Some of the common conferences to attend:
1. ACM-W – Association of Computing for Machinery
This organization supports and advocates for women in all aspects of the computing field. Read more information about them here. It has student and professional chapters to connect with peers and mentors; scholarship opportunities, and conferences. Find out if your school has one and start connecting!!
2. WiCyS – Women in CyberSecurity
WiCyS is a community of engagement, encouragement, and support for women in cybersecurity. It has many resources to help students or even professionals network and land their dream job. Look out for their upcoming conference.
3. NSBE – National Society of Black Engineers
NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. Again, there are scholarship opportunities to take advantage of; mentorship and volunteering programs, and conference.
4. SWE – Society of Women Engineering
SWE focuses on advocating for women in engineering and technology. Check their website for more information.
8. GHC – Grace Hopper Celebration
GHC primarily recruits women in the technology field. Check out their website for more information and the upcoming conference.
5. NOMAS – The National Organization of Minority Architecture Students
NOMA‘s mission is to champion diversity within the design professions by promoting the excellence, community engagement, and professional development of its members. Check out their conference page for more information.
6. SHPE – Society of Hispanics in Engineering
SHPE is the nation’s largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in the STEM field. Check out their site here.
7. BEYA – Black Engineer of the Year Awards STEM Conference
BEYA STEM conference creates connections between students, educators, and STEM professionals while facilitating partnerships with individuals and their local STEM resources. Check their site for their upcoming conference.
Quick Note
Now just because some of these conferences recruit specific talent doesn’t mean if you don’t match the description then you’re ineligible. Remember I said I got my internship at NSBE and I’m not an engineer, but the company happened to be recruiting for technology roles.
Make sure to plan and research about companies that will be coming, look at the positions they’re looking for and apply. If you’re an international student, review their policy with hiring international students.
2. Use Sites to Find Jobs
- Indeed
- Monster
- Linkedin jobs
- Handshake
- Blind app to ask current employees and find out information about the company
- Angel List for startups
- Glassdoor for interview tips and salary range
3. Attend Your School Career Fair
Find out if your school hosts career fairs. Most companies in attendance will be companies within the city or neighboring communities.
4. Reach Out to Network
Reach out to Alumni on LinkedIn and connect with them. Ask them for referrals and how they can help you get the first leg into the company. Talk to your professors! Most of them have industry/professional experience or are currently working in the corporate world. Ask them for referrals and connections to other networks.
Tips on How to Prepare
Here are some tips to prepare you for the conference, career fair, or interview you secure:
1. Apply to open jobs/role before career fair day
Applying to open roles shows you’re proactive because when you walk up to a recruiter and they tell you “apply online” you can simply reply that you have applied online and in return ask for an interview
2. Upload current resume to database
Attending companies are scanning and actively looking for students to fill their open positions. If your resume is in the database, they can see it and if the skills match up, you will get an email for an interview even before you talk to them. This puts you ahead of the game of seeking interviews in such a highly competitive space.
The average time it takes for a recruiter to look at a resume is 7.4 seconds. That’s not a lot of time at all. So you want to make your resume looks very clean and professional.
If you want to stand out, use some of these free online resume templates:
- Resume.io
- Free resumes
- Resume genius
- Creddle.io
3. Reach out to manager or job owner
Sometimes it’s best to take the bull by the horns and email the manager or HR or whoever posted the job online. This shoots you above all the resumes they are looking at and might give you a chance at getting interviewed.
4. Attend hospitality suite to network with recruiters
The hospitality suite is your chance to shine and sell yourself to a recruiter. Some companies set up a networking event with food and drinks for people to meet. These events usually happen at various times of the day, so be on the lookout!
5. Follow recruiters on linkedin and follow up
After speaking to a recruiter, ask them if you can follow them on Linkedin, and 99% of the time they will say yes. Now you can follow up after the conference to ask for updates.
6. Make a list of top companies
These conferences are very overwhelming; you will get tired so you should create a list of the most important companies you want to talk to while you still have the energy. If or when you get done with your list, move on to your backup list. This will make the process so much easier and less stressful. Don’t forget to cross off who you talked to already.
7. Research about the company
This is a no-brainer. Try to remember one or two points about what the company does, their mission and vision statement, what interesting projects are they carrying out. The blind app and glassdoor site allows you to get to know intricate details about the company.
8. Practice elevator speech
An elevator speech is an impromptu speech usually 1 or 2 mins. The idea is to point out why you’re interested in working for the company and why you’re the best candidate for the job
9. Be open and be yourself
Be your authentic self! Don’t try to be perfect, you will make more mistakes. The recruiters appreciate the genuine you.
10. Practice, practice, practice
Practice your elevator speech and prepare for interviews. It’s okay to be nervous. Remember to breathe and let go of any fears.
11. Have fun
Above all, remember to have fun.
Final Thoughts
Don’t give up! I know it can be emotionally draining if there’s rejection after rejection. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Keep going and keep track of your applications, companies, interviews, and don’t forget to make use of your network.
Summary of how to land your first internship or full-time job
- Attend conferences
- Use job sites
- Update resume
- Practice elevator speech
- Network and have fun!
Do you need help improving your resume and cover letter? If yes, send me an email.
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Which of these tips have helped you or will you try? Did I leave out anything, please comment your suggestion below!
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