Internship recruiting is never easy, but having to navigate it without clear goals makes it even harder. An internship can serve different purposes depending on when you start and want from the job. We laid out the general function internships have at every stage of your college life to shed some light on how you can land them.
Freshman Year
Freshman internships are the most exploratory. You’ve just started college and are looking to get a taste of work-life in a field you’re interested in. While you should always shoot for the best possible experiences, don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun. You’ve just started and got time to figure things out. Freshman year internships are difficult to find, but we recommend looking into programs designed for first-year students, either at large companies or through organizations like Students + Startups. Projects are the best way to stand out as a freshman with little or no work experience. They demonstrate passion and work ethic. Taking project-based courses or participating in entrepreneurial programs in college can really help build a solid freshman resume.
Sophomore Year
During sophomore year, your internship search becomes more focused. Work experience at this point will influence your chances of landing junior year internships. This doesn’t mean you need a consulting sophomore internship if you want one during junior year, but ideally, the role should help you build skills you’ll use in your industry. Many companies have sophomore internship programs, but startups are always a good choice. Projects you’ve worked on should be on your resume, but highlight results over everything else. Weave those projects into your interview stories and start practicing as early as possible. The better you can tell stories, the more likely you’ll stand out to an interviewer.
Junior Year
If you haven’t started your looking for internships yet, junior year is the time to do it. You have tons of options and are much more likely to hear back from recruiters. These roles are also designed to convert to full-time roles after graduation if you perform well. This means that the ideal junior internship should be within a role and company you’d want to work with after college. Prioritization is key at this point: prep thoroughly for your interviews early and know what they are looking for in a candidate. In addition, evaluate opportunities as if you’d be joining full-time (consider things like pay, company culture, and growth opportunities). If you can, reach out to full-time early-grad employees to get that information.
After two years in college, you should have a robust set of experiences and projects under your belt. Past internships will get you through the door, but your passions and ability to have great conversations with interviewers will have a bigger impact.
Senior Year
Senior year internships can serve multiple purposes: additional income, meeting degree requirements, boost your resume for full-time applications, or just to have fun. If you haven’t secured a full-time position at this point, you’ll be spending more time recruiting than actually looking for internships. If you already have a full-time offer, an internship can be a way to strengthen your technical skills, work on an interesting product, or give back to a cause you support. Take into account how you want to spend your last year in college and how an internship will fit in.
Resources of the Week
New Stack Ventures Fellowship:Â A VC fellowship for college students
RippleX Fellowship: RippleX Fellowship program for students interested in VC
PM Internship - X (Alphabet’s moonshot factory) product summer internship
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Check out our Substack page for more newsletters. Past articles include:
Also, visit our Resource page to explore a curated list of interesting articles, communities, and book recommendations!