Create Your Own Internship

Designing your own internship allows you to define the parameters of your summer experience, and can be especially useful when your goals or interests do not fit with established internship programs.

• Networking 101
• Four easy steps

Networking 101

What is networking and why is it important? Networking is a tool to help you explore your career options, clarify your career goals, and develop connections with professionals in your field of interest. Individuals in your network may assist and support you in varying capacities, all of which are valuable to your career development. Some may serve as mentors or references, while others may facilitate connections or assist with developing opportunities.

It is important to recognize that not all job and internship opportunities are advertised; many of the best opportunities are found through referrals and networking connections. Through networking connections you may also be able to develop opportunities that previously did not exist.

• Establishing and expanding your network
  You already have a network: professors, advisors, immediate and extended family, family friends and neighbors, coaches, friends from high school and their families, and previous employers or volunteer supervisors. Though they may not be directly working in your career field of interest, they may have connections to those who are. These people are a great foundation on which to build and expand your network.
  
  Networking is not limited to those you already know, but also involves reaching out to other individuals who are doing the type of work that interests you. Yale has many resources and events to help you expand your connections including master's teas, workshops, panels and alumni networking receptions.

• Yale Career Network
  There is also a well-established online alumni networking database, the Yale Career Network. To learn more about this database and how to use it, make an appointment with a Career Counselor or visit UCS during open hours.

• Making Contact
  Networking primarily involves reaching out for information and advice. It does not involve approaching all of your contacts and asking for an internship. We suggest you have conversations with those currently in your network, and those you are hoping to include in your network, letting them know of your internship and career aspirations and asking for advice or referrals. This can be done through phone conversations or e-mail, or you may choose to have a formal conversation commonly referred to as an informational interview . Generally speaking, people enjoy speaking about the work they do and providing advice for students looking to enter the field or profession. Informational interviews can be an effective technique to acquire information about a particular career field, industry or organization from an experienced professional. These conversations can also be particularly helpful for identifying and developing internship opportunities. Individuals in your network may pass along the name of a contact person who works for an organization that you find interesting. Such contacts may be able to share insight on internship search strategies, advice regarding specific organizations, or provide you with further contact information.
  
  

  One thing that has worked for me is to ask people to meet with [me], just to tell their story, that is, how [they] got to where [they] are today. First, this gives them a chance to talk about themselves. They may tell you things, ideas, or career paths you haven't thought about yet, and finally, if you keep in touch with this person, you may be able to send a resume to them later on. Never discount even the slightest acquaintance.

  -Alumnus '00, quoted in Life After Yale, 2006 edition

  
  

  Keep track of the people with whom you speak, record when you contacted them and summarize the conversation. Periodically maintain contact with those in your network to keep them posted on your activities - especially if you get an internship because of advice or assistance from one of your networking contacts.

  It is important to remember that not all networking connections will result in an internship opportunity, though hopefully you will gain insight into a career or industry and develop long-term relationships that may be beneficial down the road.

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Four Easy Steps to Creating Your Own Internship

It is important to note that designing your own opportunity requires a certain level of initiative, drive and motivation to complete, as well as a clear picture of your goals for the experience; it may also take more time, so planning ahead is recommended. 

Career Counselors are available to assist you with all steps in the process; call to set up an appointment.

• Step 1: Clarify goals and motivations
• Step 2: Identify contacts
• Step 3: Make Contact
• Step 4: Clarify goals and expectations

Step 1: Clarify goals and motivations
The first step in the process is to clarify your goals and motivations for developing your own opportunity. What are you ideally hoping to achieve from the experience? Take time to set clear goals and timetables for achieving your goals, while acknowledging any limiting factors that may weigh into your decision. Though it is important to have clear goals for your experience, it is also essential to have a certain amount of flexibility and remain open to unique opportunities that may arise as you begin your search.

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Step 2: Identify contacts
The second step is to identify companies, organizations or individuals who are doing the type of work you are interested in. There are a variety of resources, both web based and print based, that you may use to assist you. The following links will get you started in identifying potential leads. For more information on using these resources or to identify additional resources specific to your career interests, schedule an appointment with a Counselor.

Career Toolbox
Search for company/organization information by industry and geographic region, download career guides, and access the eRecruiting database containing employer profiles.

Student Internship Evaluations Database
Find out where other Yale students have interned and what their experiences were like. Click here to request a username and password.

eRecruiting
Identify employers in particular career fields or industries.

Professional Associations
Links to professional association websites in a variety of career fields can be found in the Career Crib Sheets and Spotlight on Careers.

Additionally, those in your network may also be able to assist you in identifying potential contacts or resources. In some cases, those in your network may be the best resource. For example, if you are interested in doing a particular type of scientific research, your professors and teaching assistants may be able to give you names of researchers in those specialties and may be professionally connected to those individuals.

It is important to maintain a high level of organization during this process to keep track of the information you find and where or how you found it. This will be especially useful for the next step when you begin making contact with companies, organizations or individuals.

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Step 3: Make Contact
The third step is to begin making contact. Making contact is, in many ways, networking. There are different methods and approaches to go about contacting those you are targeting; your choice of method and what you request will depend primarily on your connection to the individual.

One method is to develop a relationship by asking for an informational interview . Informational interviews give you a chance to get to know the person and for them to get to know you, your interests and your career goals. These individuals may be able to share insight on internship search strategies, advice regarding specific organizations, or provide you with further contact information. Keep in mind that the outcomes will vary a great deal depending on the industry, your level of knowledge, your interests and what your relationship is with the person you are speaking with. These interviews may or may not lead to internship opportunities, but in the least they will give you additional insight and contacts for the future.

Letters of inquiry are another method. You can draft a traditional letter or use email, depending on your connection to the person. A letter of inquiry is similar to a cover letter except you will not be applying to a specific position. Whenever possible you want to keep the following in mind:

• Think about the logistics of your internship - pay, housing, responsibilities - although you do not know what you will be doing specifically, you need to have an idea of what you can offer as well as what you need from them.
• Try to write to a real person not the 'Human Resources Coordinator'.
• Keep it simple - your goal is to get them interested - you then need to follow up with a phone call or email.
• Let them know what you will do next - Will you call them? Will you wait for them to call you? When?
• Once you do speak with them, if they are not able to offer you an opportunity try to turn the situation into an opportunity for an informational interview.

Phone conversations are an underutilized method. Before you call, plan what you are going to say. Introduce yourself and state the purpose of your call. Inquire about possible opportunities. Keep in mind that the person may need to get back to you or may refer you to someone else. Make sure to follow-up appropriately. As with letters of inquiry, if they are not able to offer you an internship, try for an informational interview.

Regardless of your method of contact, a key to success is to maintain professionalism at all times and to follow-up in a timely manner.

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Step 4: Clarify goals and expectations
After you've connected with an individual or organization interested in considering you for an internship, it is important to clarify desired outcomes and expectations, both yours and theirs, to assure your experience is meaningful. One tool you can use to assist you and your potential employer in clarifying goals and expectations is a learning proposal. A learning proposal allows you to clearly define your mission and your rationale for pursuing an internship; it also allows you to break down your mission into specific goals you can realistically attain over the course of the summer.

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