An internship is a great way for students to get their foot in the door and get some real-world experience under their belt. Most college and universities across the country require students to have some sort of real-world experience as part of their graduation requirements. There are plenty of companies that hire interns, especially in the summer. Read below for internship ideas for business majors.
When looking for internship ideas for business majors, it is important to think about what you are majoring in. If you are a finance major, you will want to look for internship opportunities in the finance industry or for roles that deal with finance. Companies are more likely to hire you as an intern if you have taken coursework relevant to the position you are applying for – no one likes an intern who has no idea what they are doing.
Internship Ideas for Business Majors
Most students will complete their internship the summer between their junior and senior year. This is a great time to complete the internship because you will have a good base of knowledge from your first 3 years of classes that you can apply to your internship.
Students who complete the internship after their junior year will also be eligible for a full-time job offer after they complete the internship program – this means they can enjoy their senior year and not have to job hunt all senior year. Check out the graphic below for some popular internship ideas for business majors.
Career and Student Success Center
One of the best places to start when thinking about internship ideas for business majors is to investigate your school’s career and student success center. Most colleges and universities will have some sort of career or student success center that is dedicated solely to business majors.
Check out some of their resources to see what they have to offer. They may have some connections with companies or local businesses looking for students from your school. The career coaches and advisors are trained to help you succeed, they will have some great tips and will guide you in the right direction. They are there to help, use them.
Career Fairs
Career fairs are another great place to find some internship ideas for business majors. Some of the bigger colleges and universities out there will have massive career fairs every couple of months. If you go to a smaller school, they may only have 1 or 2 career fairs.
Career fairs are a great way to learn more about various companies and what positions they are looking to fill. The atmosphere is usually more laid back – students will approach various booths that companies have set up and engage in casual conversation. Make sure to dress presentable (usually business professional) and bring a padfolio and copies of your resume.
Career fairs can be used to secure interviews for internships and to learn more about potential internship opportunities available. Do some research on the companies that will be attending the career fair and make a list of companies you want to speak to at the career fair. What better way to learn about a company than speaking with someone who works there?
Alumni
Colleges and universities pride themselves on their alumni networks. Regardless of how big your school was, you will have an alumni network to reach out to. The career and student success center should be able to help you when reaching out to your alumni network.
Ask your current professors if they have any former students who work in various industries you are interested in – they may be able to put you in contact with them. Alumni love hiring from their Alma Mater and will go out of their way to help you get the position.
LinkedIn is a great tool and every business major should have a LinkedIn profile. Students can really leverage LinkedIn and find great opportunities and connections they weren’t aware they had. One of the best features of LinkedIn is being able to find connections within you alumni network.
Example: Let’s say you attended Ohio State University and you are interested in working for Apple. LinkedIn has a ton of search features that will help you find all current Apple employees (granted they have a LinkedIn profile) who graduated from Ohio State.
LinkedIn also allows you to attach a resume and create a profile highlighting your experience and what you are looking for. Recruiters may contact you first on LinkedIn based off what you are looking for. It is always nice when someone contacts your first and it is something you are interested in.
Connections
Connections go a long way in the internship world. Students who are actively looking for an internship should tap into their personal networks. Students should ask the following people if they have any connections in the business world:
- Parents
- Aunts and Uncles
- Cousins
- Friends
- Professors
- Neighbors
You never know who you may be able to connect with via your personal network. A friend of a friend may be the person who hires you for your first internship.
Applications
Students can apply for internships to companies they are interested in via the company website. Most companies, if they offer a summer internship, will have applications on their website starting in the fall before the internship begins. If students apply to these companies via an online application, it is a good idea to find the recruiter on LinkedIn and send a quick message introducing yourself and letting them know that you applied. You can also find their email and send them a quick message.