There are no standard dates for applying for summer internships, but the best advice is to apply early. Unlike typical jobs, applying for college internships often starts long before the internship begins. It’s not rare to find applications beginning in the fall of the year prior to the summer internships when universities often hold their career fairs. Some companies and government agencies don’t accept applications received after October of the prior year. Consequently, it’s a wise idea to get started as soon as possible, as the competition for internships has been extremely competitive in the last few years. Even so, that doesn’t mean if you find yourself in April or even May looking for an internship that you’re out of luck. Companies’ needs change, and it’s not surprising to find companies with last-minute needs even beginning in summer.
Advice for Getting a College Internship
We recommend that you regularly search MarketingHire.com’s summer internship job posts and set up a job agent to have the latest posts automatically delivered to your inbox — so you’re among the first potential candidates to see them. MarketingHire.com lets employers list internships free, and we get some extremely sought after employers posting internships with us. But just like applying for a full-time job, we still recommend networking your way into an internship. For example, if you see a job for XYZ company, check your network and see if you know anyone connected to somehow who works at that company. If you do, find out if he or she can make an introduction and recommendation for you to speak with — and ideally meet with — that person. If that’s not possible or realistic, then do your best to submit your application via the standard process.
Most of all, best of luck with your career! Network, keep focused, be persistent and stay positive.
