Internship Recruiting Tips With Brother Jordan
Written by Kaitlyn Perry
With internship recruiting season in full swing, it’s hard to understand the ins and outs of the process. With the waves of internships for your favorite companies being released, where do you even start? Here is Brother Jordan with his best advice on finding and securing a summer internship.
Jordan Egbejimba
Jordan has interned at Airbnb in Accounting Controllership and at Apple for Financial Development.
What is the best way to start an internship search?
The first thing I like to think about is reviewing what is important to me. What is my ideal company work for? What type of job would I like to work? How would I want a team I’m working with to operate? Are there goals that specific companies have that align with mine? Understanding what you really want from an internship can help you choose the one that is right for you.
Once you have an idea of what company you would like to work for, start networking!
Networking is one of the best ways you can start off an internship search. Start looking around for possible connections on Linkedin because it has the ability to show alumni from your school that works at the specific company you want to intern at. Possibly reach out to those within the company in a position you’re interested in and set up a coffee chat! This way you can find out more about the company, the culture, what the day-to-day life is like, and even receive a reference. Building your network is the best way to set yourself up for success.
Do you like to cold email or direct message possible connections? Why or why not?
I do like to direct message on Linkedin because you can have all of your information presented to the person you’re messaging and you can know more about them as well. The conversation can be more of a back-and-forth and it feels more personable than an email. You can get to know this person and everything is more natural considering you’re asking for their time.
Cold emailing is a little more difficult since you have to put all of your information and availability right in the email. The person can’t put a face to a name, and they don’t know all of your work history like they could look up on Linkedin. The email might get lost as well in the tons of emails they might receive every day.
Is networking crucial to find an internship?
VERY crucial. Although it is a little corny, the saying “your network is your networth” is true. Business is about who you know more than what you know, and if you want to get ahead the best way to do so is to meet new people who could possibly help you. You’ll learn so much from your network and from the cold conversations you’ll have. I learned the skill of talking to someone I barely know for a long period of time and truly connecting with them.
You can build connections from anywhere, so be on the lookout for those you can meet! Networking is one of the best ways to skip steps in the recruiting process. Being able to put down a reference will do amazing things to your application. It’s not impossible to get an internship without connections within the company, but it does make it much harder so I suggest making those connections to increase your chances.
Do you have a favorite website or search tool to look for internships?
I think Linkedin and Handshake are my favorite websites. Linkedin has a whole job section and you can sign up for emails whenever a new job listing is made. Linkedin also has an easy-apply option that autosaves your information and shares your profile with employers so the process is extremely easy. Additionally, on Linkedin you can find alumni who are in these fields to network and reach out to them.
What is some advice you would give to sophomores and juniors looking for an internship?
I think it’s important for both sophomores and juniors to not be picky. It can be hard to get an internship after your sophomore year, so while you do want to find something that’s in the field you’d like to go in, don’t shoot down every opportunity. The best way to understand what you want to do with your career is to go into the real business world and try things out! Sometimes you’ll understand what you don’t want to do in your career as well. If you complete an internship doing work you’re not fond of, you’ll know not to do that work again. No matter what internship you have you’ll learn skills such as leadership, time management, and hard skills you’ll need for the future. Once your foot is in the door at any company, it will help you a lot in the future.
For juniors, more thought could go into your internship choice as sometimes internships lead to return offers. Juniors can put more thought in, but it is still good to not be picky.
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