Landing an Internship | Landing a Job
General Advice
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The BEST two places to start looking for jobs / internships are
In addition, check out these databases:
Poet & Writers: Jobs for Writers
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This information was gathered from our Skills Workshop with poet and Executive Director, Cathy Linh Che
Top Tips for Strong Cover Letters, Resumes and Job Interviews
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Set yourself up for success when requesting all-important recommendations from professors or employers.
Who Should I Ask for Recommendations?
Ask professors in whose classes you really dazzled, showed leadership and received an "A." Ask employers where you are positive that you had an extraordinary working experience. Your recommenders want to write fabulous letters. Nothing sinks your application more than a tepid and generic letter. (i.e. This student came to class, participated and got a good grade.)
When can I ask for a recommendation letter?
Recommendation requests should be made at least ONE month in advance of when they are due. Any less lead time than this will almost certainly result in a decline of your request.
What materials should I provide my recommender?
To facilitate the writing of your letter, be prepared to provide the following documentation to your recommender ONE month in advance of when your letter is due.
A draft of your application statement.
A resume narrative of the FIVE OR SO most important accomplishments, honors, duties, extracurriculars and jobs you have completed. This narrative must be completed in detail (in paragraph form), as a resume or CV alone cannot often encapsulate a sense of what you have already accomplished.
Any written material that would be useful for your recommender to read in the context of the recommendation.
A resume or CV (curriculum vitae).
With thanks to Stephen Sohn for this list.
How many times can I request a recommendation? What recommendation letter dossier services are out there?
If possible, ask each person only once and use the industry-standard Interfolio dossier service to store your confidential letters. (If you are applying to grad school and your current letter is for a job, you can ask the same person twice.) You don't want to exhaust the goodwill of your recommenders. Any irritation they may feel will surely show up in your letter.
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BY SELENA SOO
3 MINUTE READ
Having a hard time finding a mentor? Here’s an idea: Stop doing that, and focus on attracting one. There’s a difference. When you want to make deep, long-lasting professional connections, it isn’t always that effective to outright ask for help. Sure, some people are glad to offer a word of advice now and then, but really gaining somebody’s long-term support means focusing less on what they can do for you and more on what you can do for them. Here’s how that principle applies to the tricky art of mentorship.
HOW NOT TO FIND A MENTOR
As Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote in Lean In, “The strongest relationships spring out of a real and often earned connection felt by both sides. ” Instead, of telling young people, “‘Get a mentor and you will excel’,” she wrote, “we need to tell them, ‘Excel and you will get a mentor.'”
Obviously, it isn’t always quite that simple, especially for women and people of color, whose performance isn’t always immediately recognized. Still, Sandberg’s emphasis on putting mentorship on the far end of the equation, rather than at the front of it, generally makes sense. If it really is a relationship game, and those relationships grow out of the work you do, then you probably shouldn’t even use the word “mentor.”
Mentorship often implies a one-way transfer of knowledge–someone who’s experienced just giving away their hard-earned wisdom for nothing. You already know that relationships don’t work like that. In fact, relationships are a two-way street where both parties are equally invested in the partnership. So don’t go around asking people to be your mentor. You get a mentor by being the kind of person someone would want to mentor. If you show people you’re excelling in your career by working hard, being action-oriented, and producing phenomenal results, then chances are they will want to mentor you without you having to make a direct request.
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Networking is a great tool for students and young professionals to get their foot in the door and make meaningful career connections.
An estimated 85% of jobs are filled through networking, according to a survey by consultant Lou Adler and LinkedIn. What’s more, jobs obtained through networking tend to be higher-quality, higher-paying jobs that last longer, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. And that same survey concluded that people who are well networked tend to advance more quickly in their careers.
However, networking can be daunting, especially for those who are shy or have never done it before. But it doesn’t have to be.
First, don’t think of it as a way to get people to do something for you or an easy way to get a job, but rather an opportunity to build meaningful relationships.
″[N]etworking is building relationships before you need them,” said Diane Darling, a consultant, keynote speaker, instructor, leadership coach, and author of The Networking Survival Guide.
What’s more, you’re probably already doing it.
″[W]hen you think about all the relationships that you’ve had in high school, college, babysitting, dog sitting, picking up someone’s medicine because they’re sick, bringing someone a meal — I consider all of that relationship building, which is networking,” Darling said.
So, you already have a network, but as you go along, you want to curate your network — adding contacts in the industry you’d like to pursue a career in or related industries. But how do you connect with those people?
1. Join clubs, take classes
You’ll want to check out networking events that are specific to your industry or areas of interest because they’re still the best place to meet people in your field. They may be hosted by your school’s career center (keep an eye out for those emails!), or you can use sites like Eventbrite or Meetup. Some cities have specific networking/meetup platforms, so do a quick online search to see what pops up.
One big tip is to choose targeted events hosted by affinity groups — those are groups defined by a common interest or goal. They can be related to your race, gender, sexuality, culture, religion, sports you play or anything else. This way, you’ll have something in common with the other attendees that you can use to easily start a conversation.
Cheng-Hau Kee, a student at New York University Law School, says joining clubs helped them widen their network even past school.
“This year I was one of the co-chairs of NYU OUTLaw, an organization for LGBTQ+ law students, as well as the vice chair of NYU APALSA, an organization for Asian American law students,” Kee said. “All of these organizations have been great for networking: Having a shared professional/academic/identity interest has made it easier to make friends with other students and share opportunities with each other, and these organizations all have a robust alumni network with many individuals who are more than open to providing mentorship and helping us build our professional networks.”
2. Just ask for a cup of coffee
If you’re making individual connections, it’s a lot easier to ask someone to have a cup of coffee or a Zoom chat to discuss their job, their company and their industry than to ask them to give you a job.
“You have to be long-term focused, rather than transactional short-term focused,” said Scott Gerber, CEO of Community.co, an organization that builds and manages community-driven programs for media companies and global brands, and co-author of “Superconnector,” a book about networking. ”[T]hink more about community and learning about people, wanting to be around people, talking to people, building value for people.”
3. Practice networking
Not every event has to be a high-pressure career opportunity; some can just be great ways to practice talking about yourself and with others.
“If you’re in the journalism industry, go to networking events that might be about cooking,” Darling suggested. “You might find it interesting, but it’s not necessarily what you want to do for work. Then at that event, you’re going to start learning how to be more comfortable going up to people who are strangers and introducing yourself and making small talk.”
And you never know when a connection you make in that event could lead to a future professional opportunity.
You can start smaller by having a career conversation with just one or two people, such as a new roommate, a classmate you haven’t spoken to before, a professor who teaches a class you’re interested in or are taking, or even a cold email or LinkedIn message to a professional in your field. You never know where one random conversation will take you, and at the very least, it’s great practice and the potential for a new friend.
4. Have talking points
It’s important to go into any networking scenario with a goal in mind and a few talking points. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours preparing — just a little bit goes a long way.
You want to prepare for a networking event, however big or small, by researching the industry, topic, people attending, etc. Again, it doesn’t have to be a lot of prep, but going in armed with some knowledge of topics and people can be a huge help for starting conversations and making connections with people.
If you are actively looking for a job, it’s important to talk about what your career plans are, even in casual conversations — you never know when someone in a class or at a job has a lead that can help you. So, have a few short talking points prepared on that.
And, beyond that, if you are struggling with one particular thing such as public speaking, how to make small talk or how to make eye contact, a quick online search can turn up helpful videos. You’d be surprised how many other people out there have trouble with networking and have turned to the internet to share their tips and tricks!
5. Just be yourself
Most of us have moments of doubt or imposter syndrome, where you feel like maybe you don’t belong there. Or we may feel like we have to be something else to fit in. The best approach is just to be yourself. Your authentic self. Don’t let those voices sabotage your confidence. You absolutely belong there and are worthy of forming meaningful connections.
“It took me the longest time to learn that networking is not just a series of tit-for-tat transactions, but rather about creating value together,” Kee said. “And while having the knowledge and ‘hard’ skills needed to do substantive work does help with networking, in my experience the best networkers are people who use their ‘soft’ skills (like interpersonal communication, ability to promote teamwork and internal initiative) to show others how developing a relationship with them (no matter if it’s a job offer, making industry contacts, or just becoming personal friends) would make everyone’s lives better.”
ElBachir Chohaib, a senior at New York City College of Technology, recognizes that just being yourself may be the most powerful tool you have.
“Most of the students who graduate college have the same skills, the only difference is that someone might give you a referral because you have good soft skills. So just introduce yourself and present the best version of the real you,” Chohaib said.
You want to be able to talk about yourself without overselling, said Nathan Perez, a career coach at Career Innovation and co-author of The 20-Minute Networking Meeting.
“Focus on how to articulate your professional experience to date in a way that allows others to imagine how you plug into what they may be looking for right now,” Perez said. “In other words, tailor what you know how to do according to how it matches what they are looking for. But do not try to convince anyone that you have more than you do. Hiring and recruitment people see this happen all the time. Just trust that your experience will do all the work for you; you’ll either be a good match, or not.”
6. Be engaged
While networking, it’s important to be engaged and make an effort to meet people.
Darling says a great tip is when you introduce yourself, don’t start with your name. Instead, start with your connection, like how you’re from a certain city, your role (student at X University, intern at X company), or anything else that defines you at that moment.
Also, keep in mind that many other people at the event are most likely as nervous as you are, so if someone is by themselves, just go up and talk to them. They’ll probably be relieved and even grateful to have someone to talk to.
And, if you are attending an online event, Kelly Graham, senior associate director at the Wasserman Center for Career Development at New York University, says make sure your camera is on and you are engaging with others — talking, asking questions, dropping comments in the chat, etc. Show that you are willing to connect and make an effort to form those connections.
7. Offer to help them
Another great way to build relationships is to figure out how you can help people in your network, said Dan Yu, a career coach and founder of consulting and talent agency Fastbook Advisors. That way, you’re not just connecting with them and then asking them for something.
“Networking with people you don’t know is the best way to learn and ensure your career is sustainable,” Yu said. It’s “all about EQ [emotional intelligence, as opposed to IQ] and playing the long game. Give, give, give, and never count points. Offer help first before looking for value in return.”
What’s more, you’ll be known as someone who is helpful and a team player, and you just might come to mind when a job that you’re perfect for comes up.
8. Follow-up
Always follow up after you meet someone.
“Whether it is to thank them for their time, connect on LinkedIn or follow-up on a conversation, this is the beginning of building the relationship,” Graham said. “Stay connected by periodically reaching out to provide updates, congratulate them on accomplishments or share relevant information.”
You never know where someone might end up. It could be at a company or in and industry you want to work for. Or they may post an opportunity you’re interested in. And that means you don’t have to cold call someone at the company — you already have a connection.
And finally, just do it!
Networking may seem tiring and stressful at times, but you should never let the fear of networking prevent you from doing it. Graham admits that it may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will get easier with practice.
“Remember that people generally like to talk about what they do, especially with others who are interested in their field,” Graham said.
And if someone doesn’t respond? “First, don’t take it personally. If you’ve messaged someone twice without response, reach out to someone else. People are busy, and if you are connecting through social media, they may not be active users of the platform.”
Remember: The next step in your career can start from anywhere. Darling started teaching networking after her previous business failed, but in the process she realized she had a knack for speaking with people and forming connections. Perez started out as a professional actor and, through various connections, he ended up being signed by an agency that was run by the daughter and son-in-law of Elizabeth Taylor. He translated all his personal networking experience into his book “The 20-Minute Networking Meeting,” and it’s how he teaches others to build relationships to this day.
Wherever you’re starting from, remember that you have a network right now. It will continue to grow. What you do with it is up to you.
If you stay connected and keep building connections, you never know when one of them will lead to your next job!
″College Voices″ is a guide written by college students to help young people learn about important money issues such as student loans, budgeting and getting their first apartment. Roya Lotfi (she/her) is a two-term intern, working with CNBC’s long-form documentary unit. She is currently a second-year master’s student in international relations at New York University. The guide is edited by Cindy Perman.
Source:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/23/8-tips-to-help-college-students-start-networking.html
Landing an Internship
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By Jessica L. Cozzi, FCRH '20
As a recent Fordham graduate, I am all too familiar with the stress and anxiety that comes with trying to find an internship. Even worse, I remember scrambling as a sophomore and junior, not sure of how to land any sort of internship at the places I’d dreamed about. I didn’t have any older siblings to ask, and I didn’t have any friends at Fordham that were older than me, so my friends and I were all stuck in the same boat and not really sure how to solve our problem.
But coming up on three years later, I’m able to look back and realize that I graduated Fordham with incredible experience under my belt, including an internship at one of my dream companies, Hachette Book Group. With just a handful of tips that I gathered from professors, peers, and co-workers, I have learned a fail-safe method for not only standing out, but also for securing more opportunities in the future—yes, even your dream internship.
Networking is your friend, no matter how scary it seems. LinkedIn was the best invention of our generation, because it gives us the ability to network with people both near and far. I’ve made it my mission to spend at least five minutes of my day scrolling through my feed to see which of my peers got jobs, left jobs, accepted offers, are hiring, etc. It’s important to be in the know about who works where and in what industries, because when you have your own questions later or need some advice on how to break into it, you’ll know exactly who to ask. I also would take the time to go visit my professors in their office hours and struck up conversations with them there, and I got a good sense of who worked in what industries in the past, and who would have advice and connections for me. Because of this, several Fordham professors have not only connected me with hiring parties in the past, but they’ve also offered me some jobs themselves! Getting to know the people who work in the fields that you’re interested in can never hurt you. Best case scenario, they know how to get you hired. Worst case, you get some incredible knowledge about the fields you’re interested in.
If you look hard enough, you can find opportunities in unlikely places. I landed that aforementioned dream internship when I went to an open house networking event for the company. They weren’t hiring, and the point of the event was just to learn a little bit more about how the publishing industry worked. There were even people who flew in from other countries for the event, so as soon as I walked in, I remember feeling intimidated and out of my element. I ended up spending most of the night talking to the publicity director of one of the imprints, just chatting and making conversation because I felt so alone. She ended up requesting that I send her my resume later that night, and less than a week later, they created a publicity internship position just for me. All because I took a chance and went to an open house event and started up a conversation because I was shy! I ended up working for that company for an entire year, and I loved every second of my time there. But none of that would’ve happened if I didn’t decide to attend a random open house event to learn more about the industry.
Passion projects are the key to standing out. When you go to a school where it seems like everyone is an overachiever, the idea of making your resume stand out in a stack can seem daunting. But for me, the first thing I am always asked about in an interview is my book blog, which I started back in 2013. It began as a way for myself and two childhood friends to just review and discuss the books that we liked, but before long, it morphed into a passion project that I still put a lot of work into and nurture every day. I want to work in publishing, so in a world where everyone’s resumes have writing and social media experience, a passion for reading, and a love of the written word, it’s hard to make myself shine. But having that passion project—a book blog—is an important key because it’s not something that everyone else has! It piques the interest of the person interviewing me, and becomes a strong conversational point in our discussion. Almost always, I’ve been told that it’s part of the reason I got the job! No matter what your passion project is--whether it’s a blog, an Instagram account, a side hustle--having something that you can put down that isn’t the basic “oh hey, I love this field” stuff can really shine a spotlight on your resume.
Once you have a job or internship, work hard to form a positive relationship with your peers and your bosses. With one internship in the past, I did all of my tasks exactly as asked, always attended every meeting, answered questions, etc. But that was all I did. It was one of my first serious internships, and I was too shy to do anything else. I thought that as long as I did my work, I’d look good in their eyes. And don’t get me wrong, I definitely did--but I didn’t take much time to actually form any relationships. In my dream internship, I was a lot more vocal, asked more questions, and made an effort to really get to know everyone that I was working with. I’d ask about their commute in, or how their weekend was, or what their plans for the upcoming snowy day were. I ended up leaving that internship with a lot more positive connections than I ever had before--and everyone on that team offered to connect me with other employers, publicists, agents, etc. when I left, because we had grown so close to one another. Coming to work and getting your work done is great, but taking that extra time to really form positive relationships with your co-workers, peers, and bosses can be the difference between you walking away with or without connections when the internship ends. My boss from that internship ended up giving me such a glowing reference in a future job search that I was offered the job immediately!
Always, always over-deliver. I learned this lesson from one of my professors here at Fordham--no matter what tasks you’re given at your job, make sure to go above and beyond for whoever asked. Did your boss ask you to reorganize the book boxes in the stock room? Do that, but then also helpfully put a sticky note on each box, labeling what’s inside for easy finding later. Promised you’d get a press release on someone’s desk by the end of the day? Work hard to get it to them before lunch, if possible. These small little tasks may seem insignificant, but they are the key to making you stand out and making you look dependable, which is absolutely what you want. Because if you’re able to stand out in someone’s mind and show initiative toward making everyone’s work day smoother, not only are they grateful for you, but they’re impressed. And you want to impress everyone you work with to help yourself move forward.
So those are just five tips that I’ve managed to come up with, based on my own experiences and past internships that I’ve secured. The moral of the story is that you never know exactly when an opportunity will show up, and if you take the time to properly prepare, network, and fine-tune your passion project, you can be ready for any offer that comes your way, at any given time.
