47 Internships
How to Land an Internship: Everything You Need to Know
Guest: Julia Levy is a Global Talent Acquisition Executive with over two decades of experience on the hiring side of the desk. With a Master's degree in Career Counseling, she is uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between student potential and professional opportunity. She is the author of the new book From Hi to Hired: Your Insider Guide to Internships, which provides students and parents with the battle-tested, insider strategies needed to gain the attention of recruiters and hiring managers, network with purpose, and confidently launch their careers.
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What Is an Internship Really For, and Why Do Employers Care So Much?
Internships are not just résumé fillers or summer busywork. As Julia Levy explains in this episode of Unboxing Careers, internships are designed to help companies evaluate future full-time talent while giving students real exposure to professional work environments. For students, this means an internship is often a long interview, sometimes lasting 8 to 10 weeks.
If you’re in high school or college, it’s important to understand that employers invest time, money, and effort into interns because they hope to hire their top performers later. That’s why how you show up, what you learn, and how you build relationships matter just as much as the tasks you complete.
Things to understand about why internships exist:
Companies use internships to test potential full-time hires
Internships help employers reduce hiring risk
Strong interns often receive return offers or future opportunities
Where Should Students Actually Look for Internships?
Finding internships goes beyond scrolling through one job board. Julia emphasizes that while school platforms and databases are helpful, they don’t capture every opportunity. Many smaller or lesser-known companies never post roles on large platforms because of cost or lack of awareness.
If you’re in college, you might feel drawn to big-name brands, but that can cause you to miss out on meaningful experiences at smaller or business-to-business companies you’ve never heard of. These organizations often offer more hands-on work and closer access to leadership.
Smart places to search include:
Your school’s job boards or career portals
Company career pages directly
Search engines and AI tools to discover lesser-known employers
Referrals from professors, classmates, or personal connections
How Do You Decide If an Internship Is a Good Fit?
Not all internships are created equal. Julia encourages students to think critically about what they want out of the experience before accepting an offer. Some internships are designed as talent pipelines, while others function more like short-term help roles.
If you’re heading into your junior or senior year, it’s especially important to ask whether the company converts interns into full-time employees. A strong internship program tracks conversion rates, offers meaningful projects, and provides exposure to different teams or leaders.
Questions to help you evaluate an internship:
Do interns regularly receive full-time offers?
Will you work on real projects with visible impact?
Are there opportunities to learn from multiple teams or leaders?
How Many Internships Should Students Do, and When?
Many students assume one internship is enough, but that’s not always the case. According to Julia, most large companies target rising juniors and rising seniors because those students are closer to full-time readiness. Smaller companies may be more flexible.
If you’re unsure what career path you want, doing more than one internship can help you compare environments, industries, and company sizes. Even short-term or project-based experiences can help you build clarity and confidence.
Common internship timing patterns:
Rising junior summer for exploration
Rising senior summer for conversion to full-time roles
Project-based or micro-internships during the school year
What If You Don’t Have “Real” Experience Yet?
Lack of formal job experience should never stop you from applying. Julia stresses that employers care about transferable skills and demonstrated impact, not just job titles. Leadership roles, campus involvement, volunteer work, and group projects all count when framed correctly.
If you’re in college, think about where you’ve shown responsibility, initiative, or problem-solving. Those experiences can be just as compelling as paid work when written clearly on a résumé.
Strong résumé-building experiences include:
Leadership roles in clubs or student organizations
Academic or group projects with measurable outcomes
Volunteer work that involved planning or coordination
How Should Students Handle Applications, Résumés, and Cover Letters?
Internship applications often go through applicant tracking systems, so formatting matters. Julia recommends simple, text-based résumés without graphics or columns. Cover letters are useful, but recruiters usually read them only when they need more context or are deciding between strong candidates.
Following instructions exactly and applying early can make a real difference. If you’re serious about a role, connecting with campus recruiters or hiring teams on LinkedIn can also help you stand out.
Best practices for applications:
Use clean, simple résumé formatting
Apply as early as possible
Include a cover letter when it adds clarity or context
How Important Is Networking During the Internship Search?
Networking isn’t just about sending connection requests. Julia explains that meaningful engagement, commenting thoughtfully on posts, and staying visible over time builds familiarity and trust. Internship roles often receive hundreds of applications, so relationships matter.
If you’re in high school or college, start learning how to build professional relationships now. It’s a skill that compounds over time and often matters more than applying to dozens of roles blindly.
Effective networking habits include:
Engaging with company and recruiter content online
Asking thoughtful questions about roles and timelines
Staying professional and consistent in follow-ups
How Can You Prepare for an Internship Interview?
Interview preparation goes beyond memorizing answers. Julia recommends researching the company, understanding its challenges, and preparing examples using structured formats like STAR or PAR. You should always come with questions that show curiosity and effort.
If you’re nervous, practicing with a friend, the career center, or even AI tools can help you feel more confident. Interviews are as much about showing how you think as what you know.
Ways to prepare effectively:
Research company and industry challenges
Practice behavioral interview responses
Prepare thoughtful questions for interviewers
What Are Red Flags Students Should Watch Out For?
Scams targeting students are increasingly common. Julia warns students to verify companies carefully and avoid any opportunity that asks for money, personal information, or unusual interview setups.
Unpaid internships are not automatically red flags, especially in nonprofit or government settings. What matters is whether the experience provides real learning and skill development.
Common red flags include:
Requests for payment or financial information
Email addresses that don’t match the company domain
Offers that seem too good to be true
How Do You Turn an Internship Into a Full-Time Job?
Success during an internship starts with communication. Julia encourages interns to ask clarifying questions, seek feedback, and take ownership of their work. One-on-one meetings with managers should be used intentionally, not passively.
Being present, visible, and proactive helps you build trust and demonstrate value. Even if you don’t want to work at that company long-term, the relationships you build can open doors later.
Habits that help interns stand out:
Clarifying expectations before starting tasks
Asking for feedback and check-ins
Building relationships across the organization
Final Thoughts for Students Exploring Internships
If you’re in high school or college, internships are one of the best ways to test careers before committing to them. They help you learn what you enjoy, what you don’t, and how workplaces really operate. Even a “bad” internship teaches you something valuable.
Approach internships with curiosity, preparation, and intention. Each experience adds clarity, skills, and confidence that will serve you long after graduation.
Takeaways For How to Land an Internship
Look beyond big-name brands. Smaller or lesser-known companies often offer more hands-on work and better access to mentors.
Search smarter, not just harder. Use school job boards, company career pages, and search tools, then always verify roles on the company’s official website.
Apply early whenever possible. Many companies review internship applications on a rolling basis and fill spots quickly.
Tailor your résumé for internships. Use a simple, text-based format and highlight leadership, projects, or campus involvement, not just paid jobs.
Don’t wait until you feel “qualified.” Internships are designed for learning, so transferable skills and initiative matter more than experience.
Use your network intentionally. Engage with recruiters or employees online by commenting thoughtfully, not just sending connection requests.
Ask smart questions during interviews. Find out if interns do real projects and whether the company hires interns into full-time roles.
Prepare for behavioral interviews. Practice explaining how you handled challenges, worked on teams, or solved problems using real examples.
Watch out for red flags. Legitimate internships won’t ask for money, personal financial info, or use suspicious email domains.
Treat the internship like a long interview. Show up prepared, ask for feedback, and build relationships to increase your chances of receiving a return offer.
Interested in other careers? Check out these episodes:
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