Resume Help Blog

If you want to find the right internship, start by knowing what you want from a placement. Do you want to learn the basics of sales understand a particular industry or get to know a specific company? Your answers will determine how focused your search is and that will help you accurately direct your energies.

Depending on how specific your search is, finding an internship could then be down to anything from writing one letter to one preferred company to attending work experience fairs where a range of organisations and sectors promote their opportunities. In fact, work experience fairs are perfect if you’re unsure about the direction you want to take in sales jobs. They allow you to find out about the organisation’s culture, structure, payment and promotional opportunities before you give them your time.

“When it comes to applying, proving that you are the right person for the placement is vital,” explains Heather Collier. “You are taking the placement to gain experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t demonstrate a strong interest, knowledge and an appropriate approach to the organisation’s goals. Have you done anything that demonstrates tenacity, determination, creativity or self-motivation, for example? If so, make sure that whoever is awarding placements knows that.”

That’s just the start. Once you have a placement, it’s up to you to make a success of it and your approach is key. Start by asking questions, take notes in every meeting and don’t be afraid to put your hand up if you don’t understand. You are, after all, there to learn. Don’t run from responsibility, either. OK, it may be scary to find yourself in a new and high-pressured situation – but do it, learn from it and build on it.

It goes without saying that you should do the best job you possibly can, but you’d be surprised at how many interns sit quietly at their desks until handed a task. So take the initiative. Look for jobs to do, make suggestions about the ways in which you can help, offer fresh ideas and make yourself indispensable to the team. If you make life easier for your colleagues, then it’ll be harder for them to imagine the office without you.

This is also your chance to network. Make yourself known to the influencers by asking for advice or chatting to them about opportunities, and get to know clients by being involved in meetings and discussions. Don’t be afraid to shake the hand of someone who could be key to the decision about you being kept on, even if it is just to introduce yourself.

Also try to focus on the bigger picture. Make notes throughout the placement about the projects you’ve worked on, clients you’ve met, the challenges you’ve overcome, the things you’ve learned about the industry and the skills you’ve developed along the way. All of these are CV gold, and even if a permanent placement isn’t forthcoming at the end, the internship will have advanced you significantly towards your overall goal.

“Ask for feedback and references, too,” suggests Heather Collier. “If there is room for improvement in your performance, you need to know about it so that you can address it and make yourself even more marketable for sales jobs. You also need to know why the organisation believes that you did a good job. All of this helps create a rounded picture of what you have done and shows that the internship you embarked upon was a worthwhile exercise.”