A: It’s never too early to begin looking! Here are a few suggestions:

1)  Network, network, network.  Start with people you know, like parents, parents’ friends, aunts, uncles etc. who can provide advice and recommendations on leads of people and places to approach.  Who knows, they could even introduce you to something out of town to explore.

2)  Expect not to get paid.  Think about what you want out of the summer.  Do you need money for school but also want some career experience?  One approach is to try out the next tip.

3)  Think part-time. Intern for 2 days a week or even 2 weeks total instead of all-summer long.  This way you could have a paying job most of the time, but also learn something new.

4)   Start your search close to home.  Your chances of landing a gig near your hometown are better than if you go to a completely new place. Use your familiarity with the area to your advantage by going to organizations and companies you know first, then branching out.

5)  Be active not passive.  Expand your search beyond the places with ‘help wanted’ postings.  Research organizations that interest you.  Rather than contacting them and saying “do you have any internship openings?”, say something like “I have x, y, z skills and can help you by ______.  Can I talk with you about internship possibilities?”

6)  Stay organized and be persistent.  Keep track of what places you apply to and which people you talk with by using a log or journal.  Follow up is important; don’t be annoying, but stay on top of the process.

7)  It will be hard work.  Not to burst your bubble, but being completely realistic, you need to be flexible and adaptable and put a lot of hard work into landing and getting the right opportunity.

CSO is here to help.  Stop by anytime during Drop-Ins and we’ll get you started.  Good luck.