As a student in highschool, many doors (internships) seems shut. What are you r recommendations for a highschool student who wants to get an internship at a consulting firm?
More so for next summer, I would like to intern at a consulting firm so that I might learn about what it takes (experience and education wise) to come back and get a job post-degree. #business #higher-education #consulting #management-consulting
11 answers
Jamie’s Answer
Use your network, inclusive of family and friends of family and don't be shy. Also attend networking sessions and make sure you're online profile is professional. tenacity is going to be important. do some online research on who is an important contact or has influence and try to reach out to them...e.g. linkedin ,google search, alumni networks. And consulting firms will be looking for people who have completed their junior year+ in college. Also a good tip...keep up that GPA because it is an important decision point. and keep up the good work and dont give up.
Lance S. Perry, PE, CPE, EAC
Lance’s Answer
Don' wait for a company post an ad for interns. Don't wait for Monster.com or Indeed.com to post an opening. Don't text/email a company. Prepare your resume, identify which company you are interested in, and walk in an sell yourself. Show 'em who you are, convince them that it will be worth their time to intern you, and make sure they know you are sincere about it. Only you can sell yourself. If you can't do it, no one else will.
Face to face is the only way!
Ok, will start working on my resume.
Aukai
Position your resume like selling a consulting project. Showing how you approach any position with a consulting mentality - exhibiting behaviors like identifying the root issue, gathering support, co-developing a solution, and IMPACT of the solution.
For example - Volunteer Troop Leader Assistant for Girl Scouts of America. Identified inefficiencies with 5k registration process, designed new registration template to reduce headcount by 50%, allowing more resources to by used for concessions, contributing to 15% increase in event sales.
Also - look for opportunities to do 'pro-bono' consulting, like the above. Having that experience on your resume for any organization will help give you examples to draw on when you apply at any management consulting firm.
Good luck!
Shelly Gasperine
Katie’s Answer
Christan’s Answer
Secondly, build up your leadership extracurricular's and try to find what interests you outside of work and excel in it. You should focus on building yourself as a person and excelling at school now so you have a strong pedigree behind you when you start applying for internships etc through your college.
Maha’s Answer
Good question. I would suggest creating a LinkedIn account and networking or learning about the different types of companies and positions. Maybe try to see if you can intern somewhere for free during your winter break so that you can start to build a strong resume by the time you need to start applying for summer internships. Keep in mind that sometimes you have to start interning for free, but that leads the way for paid internships. Also, I would suggest keeping an open mind in regards to the size of the firm. It's okay to start off at small or mid-sized firms to get exposure and again work towards building your resume.
The most important thing and something that has helped me land some jobs is networking. Continue networking even if at times you feel as though you still can't find the internship you want. Don't give up.
Ken’s Answer
Hi Aukai!
Networking is a great way to open up opportunities for career exploration.
A good place to start networking is to talk to the head of alumni relations at your school to arrange to meet and talk to graduates of your school who are doing what you think that you want to do, so you can see what people are actually doing, how they got there, and how you feel about it. By using such natural connections you can open up possibilities.
You can even create your own internship by locating a company that you would like to know better and arranging with that firm and your school counselor to establish such a program. All internship programs were set up in a similar manner. Be bold and go for what you want and you will be surprised with the results.
Here is a site that might also help locate opportunities:
http://www.fastweb.com/
Please let me know if and how this helps. Keep me informed. i would like to follow your progress.
Thanks! I think finding something through school is a good place to start.
Aukai
You are welcome! Anyone with whom you share a common link be it same school, same career interest would be great choices. Look into graduates and members of professional organizations related to your career area of interest.
Ken Simmons
Sherry’s Answer
William’s Answer
Marcela’s Answer
In addition, I would recommend to network. Leverage all your relationships. Talk to your parents, family and friends and maybe they know someone who works in consulting. This is a great way to learn about the job.
Also start small, try to get internships even if they are unpaid. This a lot of the times lead to paid internships and if not you are building your resume.
Jake’s Answer
That's a great question! It's great to have the mentality of trying to get ahead and if you maintain that drive I am sure it will pay off in the future. Personally, I did not have my first career-related internship until I was a junior in college. In most cases, employers are looking for college students to fill these positions. This is because of their exposure to related courses and in many cases, an opportunity for a full-time offer after graduation.
Despite this, there are still opportunities available to you as a high school student. While my younger sister was in high school, she had to the opportunity to shadow various people who held positions in companies that she had interest in. If I were you, I would reach out via email to various companies that you have interest in and see if they offer any shadowing opportunities. Although it may not seem like much, it will give you great exposure to what consulting is actually like, and may even lead to other opportunities at the company for you in the future. Also, it is always a good idea to ask family, friends, your school's staff members, etc. to see if they know of any opportunities that you could take advantage of. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you.
