From freshmen starting to navigate the professional world to seniors preparing for post-graduate opportunities, understanding how to navigate the application process can make all the difference in landing an internship.
For some students, such as freshman Alexander Saltsgaver, an important question is how to begin the search.
“I was in something called the Academy of Engineering in high school,” Saltsgaver said. “We had to get an internship for the program, and so we did mock interviews.”
He said his familiarity with the internship process helped grow his confidence with actual interviews. He said he doesn’t feel as fearful about being judged by recruiters, but finding those opportunities has become difficult for him in college.
Amber Moser, director of internships in the School of Communications, said that all students in the School of Communications are required to complete an internship before they graduate. The Love School of Business also requires students to complete an internship and all students can recieve an Experiential Learning Requirement credit for completing an internship.
Part of Moser’s job is to be the instructor for the required internship course. However, she said there is more to her role.
“I also work with students to support them in looking for internships and securing opportunities,” Moser said.
Whether support means being the person who sends out email lists with relevant opportunities, setting up one-on-one meetings, or even being a friendly face in the career advising office, Moser is here to help students. She said she believes it is important for students to start thinking about career planning and internships in their first year at Elon.
“That doesn’t mean they need to start seeking out an internship right away,” Moser said. “Planning for it and researching and putting the pieces in place to be successful in your first year is really beneficial, particularly if students are double majoring, depending on the kind of double major they have.”
Moser noted that Elon has a plethora of sources available for student success, such as the Student Professional Development Center, on-campus career advisers, the Elon Job Network, lists sent to students with networking event opportunities, Elon Q&A, Big Interview and the Writing Center.
Moser said it can be easier for applicants to reuse cover letters for different jobs, but this won’t help students stand out as candidates.
“It’s obvious if it’s a letter that has been replicated over and over again and isn’t tailored to the company and role,” Moser said. “Mentioning the company specifically, mentioning the role specifically, talking about not just what the role can do for you, but what you can do for that organization and what skills you can contribute, and also keywords are a big deal.”
Moser said that while not every job will require a cover letter, tailoring anything from a resume to supplementary questions helps candidates stand out from the crowd.
Mikayla Williams, a senior psychology major and a sociology and leadership studies double minor, said it is important to prepare early for internships.
“A lot of people want to have multiple internships, but they don’t necessarily realize that you have to start early, getting the experiences that will make you a competitive applicant,” Williams said. “A lot of the time, you have to delay the application so that you can get those experiences.”
She said that the many jobs and internship experiences she had during her time at Elon have shaped her ability to navigate the professional world.
“Being able to have positions on campus and community building aspects has really shown me that’s what I want to do after I graduate,” Williams said.
Williams said her advice to underclassmen is to remain persistent, be prepared and do a lot of research.