How I Landed 2 Unlisted Internships as a Student
We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of searching for a job or internship and you feel like you’ve seen every single posting. You scroll and scroll to the last page on the job sites, just to make sure you haven’t missed anything. You’ve even signed up for notifications so that you’re the first to know when new jobs are up. Despite all of this, you still haven’t landed any leads yet and it’s getting pretty frustrating.
Perhaps, you also have a list of dream companies you’d love to work for. But, perhaps, they just don’t have any openings that fit your interests. You’ve checked their site a million times, you scan all of their social posts…but there’s nothing.
If you’ve been in either of those scenarios, I know how you feel. I’ve been there and it can feel like there’s literally nothing else you can do. But, remember not every open job or internship is made public.
The hidden job market is very much real. How do you access it? By using the “whisper network’ which you can access by leveraging the people in your existing network — and strategically adding new people to it.
I learned the power of this while in university. Each summer, I wanted to land an internship in public relations that would help set me up for success, post-graduation. At the time, I was set on working within the fashion industry so I had a list of dream companies I wanted to work for. The only problem is that they didn’t have any available internships!
I stalked their websites every single day hoping that I’d see a new posting for a PR or marketing intern but no such luck. Eventually, I decided to work up the nerve to send a cold email to see what would happen.
Finding contact information
Figuring out who to email and what their email address is can be a bit tricky. I don’t remember how I learned this tip though but a great place to start is by searching for the company’s press releases. At the bottom, there is typically a contact at the company with their email address.
You can email the person on the press release (usually someone on the PR or communications team) and if you’re not looking to work specifically on their team, ask if they can connect you to the one you’re interested in. If you have the name of a better contact at the company but you just didn’t know what their email was, the email address on the press release will indicate how the company formats their email addresses.
Other ways to find email addresses is to search on Linkedin and Twitter. Some people openly post their email so it can often be as simple as just doing a bit of research.
Okay, but what do I say in the email?
Once you have the contact information, it’s time to construct your message!
A good cold email should:
- Be addressed to a specific person, if possible
- Include a bit of background on you, your education and experience
- Speak to why you’re specifically interested in working for the company
- Include links to your Linkedin profile and personal website/portfolio, if applicable
- Include an attached PDF version of your résumé
Here’s an example of an email I sent:
Subject Line: I’d love to be your next intern!
I’m taking a chance here and reaching out to inquire about potential internships at [insert company here]. I wanted to personally send you my resume and cover letter for your review, since I’m particularly interested in joining your team!
Just a little bit about me — I’m a graduate of McMaster University’s Communication Studies program and Humber College’s postgraduate Public Relations program. I have over three years of experience working in both agency and corporate settings to provide traditional and digital communications support. Although I’m experienced in both sides, my interest and passion lies primarily in the digital realm and I have become highly experienced in developing, implementing and measuring social media programs.
I know you probably receive a million emails from students, but I was hoping that if you have a moment, you could review my background and perhaps spare 30 minutes for a virtual coffee chat. I’d love the opportunity to learn from you.
Have a wonderful day and I hope to hear back from you soon.
Having an informational interview
Once I got a response to my email, I immediately responded asking for an informational interview and we set one up within a few days. When you are meeting with them, I can’t stress enough how important it is to plan your questions ahead of time (I do have a full list of key things you need to do to make a good impression but this is an important one).
Although they may not have internships listed, Use this opportunity to learn as much as you can. Ask things like:
- What types of internships do you usually offer?
- When is your hiring season?
- What do you look for in an intern?
- What are some interesting projects you’ve worked on recently?
- What advice would you give to someone like myself who is breaking into the industry?
Follow up, follow up, follow up
The information you gather during this meeting is so important because you can strategically use it in your follow up emails. You should send at least 3 follow up messages:
The day after
This email is to simply thank them for taking the time to meet with you, just like you would send after a job interview. Here’s a template you can use and edit as needed:
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.
It was so great to hear about [insert something that really interested you here]. I really admire the mission behind [insert company name here] and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for any opportunities to join your team. It sounds like you’re working on some exciting projects and I’d love to be a part of them.
I look forward to staying connected.
1–2 months later (or sooner, if it is getting close to their hiring season)
Hope you’ve been having a great week so far and have been well since we last spoke.
I thought I’d quickly connect with you again to see if [insert company name here] has any available internship opportunities. I’m finishing up my program in the next few weeks and I’ll be ready and eager to join your team (full-time or part-time) if the opportunity is available.
I’ve attached my resume again for your review. Looking forward to hearing from you either way.
3–4 months (make this one a personal update on what you’ve been up to)
Hope you’ve been having a great week.
I’m sure you must be busy but thought I’d reconnect and give you a short update on what I’ve been up to since we last spoke.
[talk about where you are in school, internships you’ve completed or currently doing, volunteer or side projects, etc.]
I’m still very much interested in working for [insert company name here]. Would there happen to be any internship opportunities available in the near future?
I’ve attached my resume and you can review my Linkedin profile. [hyperlink your profile!]
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Sometimes this process will take a long time so patience is really the name of the game. You may even have to find an internship somewhere else and be okay with that while still following up with the companies on your dream list. In fact, while I was interning at one of my dream companies, I got a response back from another dream company offering me an unlisted internship too! I didn’t even formally interview but I had impressed them during my informational interview and demonstrated my enthusiasm through multiple follow-ups.
The timing was perfect as I was just about to wrap up the other internship so I was able to start a few weeks later.
Remember, you can’t be passive about your career and no one will ever care about it more than you do. If you’re determined to land an opportunity, take initiative, show your enthusiasm and do whatever you can to make it happen.
Originally published at https://www.dowelldresswell.com on April 6, 2021.
