Posts published on June 18, 2019

7 Ways to Use Social Media Sites to Obtain an Internship 

By Lorraine McKinney

Being in college is stressful enough. You have reading and writing assignments, tests to study for, and trying to decide what you want to do when you graduate. If you are looking to acquire an internship as part of your career track, here  are seven ways to use social media sites to obtain an internship.

1. Create a unique personal website – One thing business are looking for is someone who is tech savvy. Creating your own personal website will open a door to your world that a paper resume does not do. You can show potential employers your creative side and let them know what you are capable of. Use videos and pictures to promote yourself to businesses. Remember to keep things professional, but be sure to add a few individual items that are unique to you.
2. Headshot – Make sure you have a professional headshot. Potential employers want to see who they are looking into before they meet you. You can get a headshot done by a professional photographer or go online and find out how to do it yourself. Your headshot can be used on your personal website and other correspondences like your email.
3. Facebook – You can find an internship by using facebook. Send personal messages around to your family, friends, and past employers and find out if they are aware of any internships that might be available. You can also post a notice on your facebook page explaining that you are looking for an internship and would appreciate any leads. If you do use your Facebook account to ask about internships, be sure your Facebook account looks professional. Potential employers could look at your account and you want them to have a positive image of you.
4. Twitter – Like Facebook, you can use your twitter account to ask for and seek any leads on internships. You can download your resume so it is available to potential employers. Before you download your resume, though, you want to be sure to look it over and check for any updates you can make. You can check out an online resume builder for examples of how to update your resume and make it your own.
5. Linkedin – This social media site was built with the business world in mind. You can upload your resume and contact potential employers and former employers at the push of a button. Be sure to be professional when you reach out to potential employees and make sure your account reflects your professionalism.
6. Blog – If you have a blog, you should include it on your resume and personal website. You can also provide links to your social media pages on your resume. Blogging will show future employers that you can maintain a site over a period of time with consistency. Employers want to know that you will do what you say you can and will do and showing them that you maintain a blog will go far in convincing them that you have what it takes to work as an intern at their company.
7. Research – This is one of the most important steps to landing an internship. College has prepared you to do the research that you will need to figure out what company you want to work for and why. You will want to show your potential employers that you have taken the time to research what  they do and how they do it. This will impress people who should already be a bit impressed by you. This will help seal the deal. Research a company you are interested in online, at their social sites, and in media. Get to know the company so when you are asked why you want to internship there, you can give them a well rounded and intelligent answer.

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and elearning specialist.