How to Get the Internship of Your Dreams: Part 3

Written by Sarah - Binghamton University 11 Comments

This is the third part in our series on getting the internship of your dreams. If you missed the first two articles, learn how to clean up your internet identity and how to create a killer cover letter and resume, then come back and read this article.

If you have been following this series, in this post, I’ll show you where to find internships listed on the internet (mostly fashion-related), and other great ways to get your resume out to anyone who can help you find an internship.

Where is the first place I should look for an internship?

There are so many great places to find internship listings. But the first place to look is within your “network.” By network, I don’t mean all of your Facebook friends; I mean your friends and family. Reach out to anyone and everyone who could help you find an internship. Have a friend who has a friend who works for a magazine? Ask her if she could get in touch with her friend and maybe even introduce you two! Recently, I threw out the fact that I was looking for a fashion internship to my group of friends at lunch, and immediately, each girl racked her brain for anyone she knew who could help me.

Send your resume to your family members and close friends. That doesn’t mean you should send a mass e-mail to all of your contacts in your Gmail address book; carefully pick out certain people you can trust to forward your resume to anyone they think could help you. If you have a family member or close friend (i.e. this won’t be the first time you’re getting in touch with them since you last saw them six months ago) with a lot of connections, shoot them a nice e-mail that says something to the effect of:

“I’m searching for a [industry]-related internship for Summer 2010, and since you are always making new friends, would it be possible for you to maybe forward my attached resume to anyone you know in the [industry]-world?”

If you know someone with a connection, but haven’t been in contact with them recently… call them. Catch up with them. Don’t just send an e-mail that says, “Hey, how are you, help me out!” If you want someone to forward your resume, they are doing you a favor. So, be nice, grateful and courteous, and don’t demand anything. Let them know how appreciative you are if they do decide to help you. Maybe even consider sending them a card for their effort.

I sent my resume around to my friends and family, now what?

There are so many great resources to use on the internet to find an internship. Here are the sites I’ve used and loved the most:

• Ed2010: This is by far the best site to find fashion-related and general magazine internship listings. Everyone I know who is involved in the fashion world has recommended this site to me. There are postings for everything from large publications like Seventeen magazine to smaller online publications. They aren’t just fashion publications either! I’ve seen postings for food blogs and music publications as well. There are no catches: the employer’s contact info is directly on each posting, and Ed is just there to direct you to them.
• Free Fashion Internships: As a girl who is intensely interested in a career in fashion, Free Fashion Internships is heaven. There are internships with major designers (such as Zac Posen, Elie Tahari, and Jean Paul Gaultier), indie designers, and upcoming designers in every department from PR, to design, to styling, to print and fabric. And, the best part: many major designers and PR firms list positions they need filled for fashion week (aka, you get to help with fashion week for anywhere ranging from a few days to a few weeks). Plus, like Ed2010, there are no catches: each employer’s contact info is listed and you just have to copy and paste an e-mail address to send your resume and cover letter out.
• WWD Careers: This is basically a search engine for jobs/internships in the fashion world hosted by Women’s Wear Daily. It allows you to search by location and/or keyword to find the internship of your dreams. They also feature a long list of categories to help you sort through the listings.
• Condé Nast Internships: If you don’t know what Condé Nast is (and I highly doubt it), let’s put it this way: their brand list includes Vogue, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ. Impressed? I thought so. If you click the link I’ve given you, you’re led to a rundown on how to apply for a job at any of these prestigious magazines. Many of Condé Nast’s publications are featured as employers on Ed2010, but if you want to search their site directly for job openings, use their search tool.
• NY Fashion Internships: This blog gives listings for fashion internships in the NYC area (great if you live in the area or want to pursue a career in New York). Modeling agencies, magazines and designers are all featured on this great blog. There’s no catch to this site either. Each listing features an e-mail address that you can use to contact the employer directly with your resume and cover letter.
• Intern Queen: This site has internship listings in almost every area of the entertainment industry, from fashion to marketing. The only catch is that there is no direct contact info for the employers listed, and you must sign up for OneCubicle.com in order to send out all of your applications for free.

What’s next?

So, you’ve found the internships/jobs you want to apply for. You’ve written some sweet and to-the-point e-mails with your cover letter and resume attached securely. You’ve shaken as you pressed the “Send” button. Now what do you do?

Firstly, read through our tips for landing an internship.

Then, if you haven’t heard back from your employer in a few weeks, send a follow-up e-mail. Let them know how much you appreciate them looking over your resume. Let them know you just wanted to touch base. Sound sincere and sweet. Thank them.

Got back a reply that says something like, “Thanks for applying, but try again some other time”? I have, you probably have or will at some point in your life, and everyone around you probably has, too! Don’t pout and feel like you did something wrong. Instead, send a thank you e-mail. I know you’re bitter right now, but employers will often keep your resume on file in case another position that they feel could suit you becomes available. Plus, it looks extremely courteous of you to send a thank you e-mail, and people remember when you make them feel special.

Example? My friend turned down a job offer over the phone, then sent out this amazingly sweet e-mail to the contact he had at the company. In return? The potential employer let him and his co-op advisor (he goes to a school with a co-op job program) know that he had sent the nicest e-mail they had received and that they would love for him to interview again the following year. Basically, he made an incredible impression on them.

If you get asked to interview, then CELEBRATE! You are one step closer to the internship of your dreams! Congratulations! In my next post, I will be discussing interviews, from what to wear, to what questions to be prepared for.

What do you think?

Did you check out any of the sites listed above? Did you find them useful? Have you started to apply for specific internships? What type of internship do you want? Let us know in a comment!

Posted on on February 23, 2010 / Filed Under: College Life / Tags: College Life, Fashion Internships, How To, Inspiration, Internships, resources, Resume, Tips, Websites