What are some tips for finding an internship as a high schooler?

Katia, it's wonderful that you are thinking about getting an internship as a high school student.

There are a number of sites that you can use to search for internships. In addition, if you have a local clinic or hospital, contact them to see if they offer internships. Sometimes organizations don't list internships on their websites, so it is always worth asking. Contact their Human Resources departments, explain your career interests, and the type of internship or volunteer activity that you would like. Also, mention any experience that you have, such as science classes that you have taken.

Here are sites that are great for internship searches:
YouTern: http://www.youtern.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/vsearch/j?keywords=internship&countryCode=us&orig=JSHP&distance=50&locationType=I
Idealist: http://www.idealist.org/
Internmatch: https://www.internmatch.com/
Internships.com: http://www.internships.com/student

First, define your major interest. Then scour your community for businesses or agencies that include your interests. Then, and this is the hard part, pester them with requests until somebody gives you an internship.

Finally, work your tail off to do the best you can. Ask good questions all the time. Be inquisitive and innovative. Volunteer to do the crappiest jobs.

Getting good references from people for whom you intern are priceless.

Ask the teachers in that field. When I was graduating my science teacher told me of an internship program throughout kaiser, and it was a great opportunity.

Often places like Craigslist, Monster, LinkedIn, etc. also post internships in their jobs as well.

Keeping an up to date resume, and making sure you have references ready, also helps you be prepared whenever you see an opportunity pop up.

Good luck!

Hey Katia!

It's great to hear you want to get experience early on! Internships are a very valuable way to understand what your interests are and what you would like to get out of a future job!

Depending on the type of internship you want, some things you might want to do are:

1. Have a goal: Think about what knowledge, experience, or understanding you might want to gain from your internship experience.
2. Find out who can help you achieve your goal: Make a list of organizations/companies you might want to intern for that will help you learn what you want to learn.
3. Know what you can do to achieve your goal: Try to find out if these places take on high school interns. (Look on their home pages for the "career" or "jobs" tab, or send an email/phone call to the contact person listed on the site)

It often helps to make a list of qualities that you'd be able to bring to the internship along with examples of times you demonstrated the quality (e.g. team player and good communicator - I am one of 4 people who build sets for an acting company and it take a lot of teamwork and communication to ensure that the sets get built on time and that they fit the requirements of the director). Keep in mind, this part often takes the most time. Also, don't be afraid of hearing "No"! It's a part of the process and should keep you motivated to find more opportunities!