Exchange

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NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

A great place to start looking an internship or training program is on job posting websites like Indeed, Glassdoor, Idealist, or internships.com. But did you know that many of the best positions are “invisible”? These positions are not posted to the public because the organization might be looking for someone they already know. This means that you have to do some networking! However, networking doesn’t necessarily have to happen face-to-face. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great places to look for and connect with potential host organizations.

Sarah, an exchange visitor who trained with a design firm in Florida, told us that she used social media to reach out to studios or artists that inspired her. “For me, I found my (eventual) host through Twitter and Linkedin! You need to find the platform where geeks from your industry gather to share ideas,” she explained, adding “Networking is so important. You never know who you’ll meet!”

So, don’t get caught in the trap of using the same few aggregated internship posting sites as everyone else. Use the many resources at your disposal, whether it’s connecting with host organizations through your professional and academic networks or deciding to send out email inquiries. Even something as easy as following and engaging with interesting organizations on social media can lead to interesting opportunities!

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DO YOUR RESEARCH

Sarah emphasized the importance of doing your research and developing a relationship with a prospective host organization. “Approaching a potential host for an internship is like approaching a potential employer when they’re not even offering a job,” she said. “I had first contacted [my host organization] in university. I didn’t originally contact them in pursuit of an internship. I wanted to become friends first and therefore could see if we would be compatible in working together.”

While pursuing an internship or training program with a potential host organization, it’s important to research the company, their work, and the industry in which they operate. This will give you a good sense of what the company does and what they would be like as a host organization. If you have the chance to meet for an informational interview, “compliment or question parts of their portfolio that intrigue or inspire you” said Sarah. She also recommended asking about their journey as a company and even asking for feedback on your own portfolio. “Almost all professionals were students or interns themselves at one point so they understand!”

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HONE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Once you’ve found and developed a relationship with a host organization, Sarah advises not to simply stop there! To set yourself apart from other interns, she recommends further strengthening your professional skill set before you start your program. “It was important that I taught myself as much of the basic skills as possible before I arrived, so I didn’t waste any time when I got there,” she told us. “This means that when it comes to participating the actual internship, you can focus on the more industry specific skills you can’t teach yourself, or find online. I’ve learned a lot about time management, specific presentation layout, scaling and other things I don’t think I could have ‘Googled’ on my own.”

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ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE INSPIRED

Think of your internship or training program as an opportunity to test-drive a career, rather than just a place to gain work experience in a professional setting. “Find out who or what inspires you and where you want to steer your career,” Sarah told us, adding “Then see if you can mold the things that you love into something you could get paid to do.” But perhaps one of the best parts to finding the perfect host organization is the (sometimes unexpected) impact it can have on your career path. “Like everything in life some things don’t go according to plan,” Sarah explains. “Even those things will be a learning curve. It’s all part of the journey.”