Given the mundane world we live in, economic inequality is something that laces the world with drudgery and contempt. With economic inequality comes cutthroat competition, which is quite brutal and unforgiving in the real world. College can be a daunting place to be at, many consider it as a playground of playful banter and jokes but for the more aspiring ones, it is a holy grail and a stepping stone in one’s career.
It is no news that internships in today’s time are quite mandatory for one’s experience. But grabbing one is quite an arduous task. Worry not! We got you covered. The following article presents to you the prerequisites of grabbing the most fulling internships that are right for you.
It is to be noted here that grabbing an opportunity for gaining experience at one startup can be quite an odious task, given the budget constraint that various companies feel. This detestable attribute of many startups and companies is what leads to many facing rejections. But given the plethora of internships out there, losing on one opportunity shouldn’t be the end of the world but a new beginning of experiences.
Many might call grabbing an internship, a work of art and we assure you that there are some key attributes that separate one intern from the other. Sometimes it’s a nick of diligence, compassion or teamwork that might impress your recruiter.
Here we have compiled all the attributes that you need to hone to stand out in the crowd to land an internship–
First and foremost is the highest scrutiny you might face when applying for an internship. The moment you apply for one, heavy scrutinization of your CV to hunt the best talent among a plethora of applicants begins. Thus it would be an understatement to state that the first impression is always the last. This is especially true for the corporate world as no corporation would be compassionate enough to shower you with second chances. Hence, it is one shot, one opportunity that you grab or miss.
1. Enhance your Social Media Presence
Given the robust rise of social media in the digital world, your social profiles reflect your true self. LinkedIn, in today’s scenario, is considered your true CV, which various corporations scrutinize to get a better glimpse at your attributes. Thus it can be rightly stated that being active on your social media profiles especially LinkedIn and Facebook can help you develop that first good impression! Companies nowadays do not just merely hire an individual or a candidate but it effectively hires your entire network. Thus, the better your connections, the better chances you have to be hired.
2. Verify the documents properly
A thing that might lead you to start off on the wrong foot is errors in your documents. Thus through thorough self-inspection of your details like name, picture, correct email, you can avoid the drama of being ill-judged. It is to be remembered that a company can always call for interviews at your personal number, thus it is quite mandatory to avoid using jinks or con names for your true caller ID.
3. CVs are the Best Suite to Land Your Dream Internship
It is to be noted that your CV should be sent in either a PDF format or word format. If your CV has some special formatting like images, colors, text, sending it in a well-structured pdf will be a good idea. Sending it in a Microsoft word format can sometimes do not display the colors, text, formatting properly.
4. Avoid Silly Jitters
In addition to the previous point, always avoid sharing your CV in some format that is not widely accessible or recognized like iOS pages format. The goal is to make your hiring process as smooth as silk and not an arduous or detestable task for your recruiters.
5. Pay Attention to Some Valuable Points; Mandatory to Improve your Chances
A few other pointers on the mode and format of your CV presentation are as follows- Consciously, avoid sharing your resume in JPG or PNG format, when you try and click a picture of your cv while sending it to your company. This gives off an unflattering impression of you not being a tech-savvy person that can heavily jeopardize your chances of approval.
6. Profile reflects your personality immensely
Your visual presentation i.e. your picture in your CV, presents you to your recruiter virtually. Hence, it plays a key role in your recruitment process. Please avoid using informal pictures which might present you as a non-hard working individual. Presenting a professional picture, beaming with confidence can assure your recruiter about your diligence and commitment.
7. Build a strong network
It is advised to include your emails, phone number and your LinkedIn profile in your CV. As aforementioned, companies don’t just hire an individual but their entire network, thus a recruiter would always like to see how strongly and well connected you are on your social media. This can be an important requirement in your recruitment process.
8. Quality research will result in great opportunities
Quality over quantity makes you go a long way. Thorough research about your companies can save you time applying to innumerable companies that might not be worth it. Thus, it is a strong recommendation to not apply in some 50-60 companies, but keeping your application focused on 2-3 companies.
A clear research about the company you are interested in, their process, about their founders, their revenue model, their business model, their employees, their products and services, their target audiences and their geographic locations and target locations will help you bottle down your choices between a plethora of companies you might want to work with. This will also set an example of your commitment and diligence towards the company and will present you as a highly interested candidate which will definitely increase your chances of being hired.
9. Do not possess An Aggressive Mindset During An Interview
We understand you are a person of strong opinions but an argument during your interview process can be a canker. Forming strong or rather aversive opinions about a company’s professionalism can be an offset.
10. Blocking contacts: not the answer for rejection
Sometimes rejection might lead you to get dejected and sorrowful but blocking the concerned person you are having conversation with, can be deciphered by the company as demeaning and insulting. Maintaining robust relations with companies is considered being professional as going up your success ladder, you never know if you might collaborate with the same company which once rejected you in the future.
Other things to be kept in mind are-
If a company demands an interview via a zoom call or WhatsApp video call, being prepared is probably a good idea. Most companies look for how presentable the candidate is and how one presents themselves during emergency work calls and meetings. Thus preparation is the key my friend.
Please don’t feel dejected if you don’t receive confirmation regarding your recruitment status. Many companies receive thousands of applications, thus sending out rejection emails can be a daunting, arduous task. Therefore many companies reach out to only a select few hired candidates. Thus, showing professionalism and responding politely can take you a long way.
Talking about sending out emails for your Job Applications, a Subject Line for the profile you are interested in is a must. It is to be noted that companies receive tons of emails on daily basis, thus rummaging through the clutter for a recruitment email is not feasible. For easy identification, a subject line is mandatory. Additionally, a well-crafted cover letter is always a plus one. Emails For job application should always have your contact details.
If you are needed to send any portfolio or some files via google drive, it should always be sent in an unlocked format.
As aforementioned, a cover letter is a plus in your application process. Therefore, crafting a good cover letter is necessary. Take out time to craft a well-structured cover letter covering why do you want to apply for this post, what makes you the most suitable candidate for this job and what skills do you have which makes you a better candidate.
It is to be remembered that there are 135+ crore people in our country and not even 1.3 crore jobs, thus standing out among innumerable applications can be a daunting task. But it is quite achievable once a person knows how to do it. Hope the above-curated list helps you grab that next opportunity that comes your way.
Edited by Tanish Sachdev
