Finding Your Own Co-op (or Internship!)

This semi-recent Washington Post article features five easy, practical steps toward creating your own internship. Colleen Sabitino, of Internships.com, explains how to reach out to a company about securing an internship once you've found the ideal place to co-op or intern. Sabatino's advice basically boils down to this crucial factor: you must know why you want to work at that specific company and what you want to do there (what you can offer them).

You might want to intern at a particular organization because it's known to be "the best" of its kind, an industry leader. Wanting to work for the "best" company is a natural instinct of course, but this very reason is not very appealing to a potential employer; any potential employer wants to know that you have done your homework and are somewhat confident that your work with them would be a good fit for both parties.

The company you want to work or intern for needs to know why you (in particular) want to work there (in particular). What is it that attracts you to this company?  Is it their use of digital media that inspires you? What experience do you have in digital media (coursework, jobs, volunteering, and/or previous internships all count) that would mesh well with that company's current initiatives?

Finding a meaningful internship requires knowing a little bit what you want and why you want it. This doesn't require you to have your life mapped out by any means, but it does require you to consider what you've done in the past and what you want to do in the future.

Sabitino's five-easy-steps assume that you already know what your skills are and how you want to utilize them. But many students, and many professionals, are still trying to figure this out. If you're among them, don't worry. With a little thought, patience, and self-reflection, you can begin to sort this out.

Special thanks to Daisy Lairos, Drexel's Career Services Librarian, on whose excellent blog I originally found this story. Current students and alumni who have graduated in the past two years can both meet with Daisy to discuss how to search for internships or jobs. Contact Daisy at: dl423@drexel.edu