Whether it’s a requirement for graduation or something you spearhead on your own, finding an internship always seems to be a big ordeal. Your schedule is already jam-packed with classes, going to work, and commuting to and from all of these activities. Then, on top of all that, it’s still highly valued that you make even more time to work somewhere else — often for free.
Your internship needs to be close enough to home that you can sneak in some study time between commitments, and also the type of gig that future employers might see as the tipping point between hiring you and someone else. The right internship is a veritable glass slipper: it’s in the right location, relevant to your career, and managed by someone who could become a lasting mentor.
Then comes the actual application process. Often, this means hours hunched over your laptop, searching the internet with different iterations of “internships near me,” scratching your head for answers to a barrage of questions you’ve never given much thought about.
Now, imagine stressing about all of these things a whole world away!
Many students coming back from their year or semester abroad find themselves in this predicament.
Direct flight into your perfect internship
It’s been a whirlwind of an adventure abroad. Students have finally adjusted to the sights and sounds of a new location, and can find their way around without getting completely lost. But now the semester’s wrapping up and they need an internship when they return home.
Davidson College alumna Sara Reiling found herself in this situation when coming back to campus after studying abroad in Scotland.
“I was nervous that conducting my search from abroad would be challenging and time-consuming, but Handshake helped me by identifying internships with real prospects and streamlining the application process.”
Sara Reiling, Davidson College
Handshake exists to soothe worries about finding that perfect internship even when you’re thousands of miles away from home. It’s more than a job board, serving as a platform to connect with real people looking for real talent – home to a pool of great employers who’ll provide you with experiences to beef up your resume or meet that daunting graduation requirement.
“Handshake maximized the efficiency of my search process and ultimately led to a successful internship with a wonderful start-up,” Sara recalls.
Agents of student success
On top of providing lucrative internship opportunities, employers who use Handshake will sometimes go out of their way to accommodate students who are still abroad.
DePaul University senior Jessica DeMaio, who studied in Madrid, was also looking for an internship for the summer she returned home. Understandably, students in Jessica’s position often stress about applying and getting an interview, then being unable to come on-site and wow an employer in person.
“Being away from [home], I was afraid that no employers or recruiters would consider me since I was not there to have in-person interviews," recalls Jessica. "I tried to apply to jobs externally before I left to go abroad, but I never heard back from any of the companies. In a panic, I turned to Handshake. Handshake was able to find internship openings based on what I was looking for. I was looking for a summer internship that was preferably paid that was located somewhere in the city or in North Jersey. After searching through all possible selections, I found the Securitization Internship from Deloitte.”
Jessica was able to interview via video call and then secured the position by March for the summer.
“If I did not go on Handshake, I would have never known this internship existed and would not have any kind of internship for the summer. Handshake helps push students' resumes to recruiters and ensures [that companies] will respond to their applicant.”
Jessica DeMaio, DePaul University
Here, there, everywhere! Handshake is always around to help your job hunt.