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James
Student
Herndon, Virginia
1
Question
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when should i do Internships in College
I am hoping to attend college somewhere for marketing and i'm hoping to do some internships during college to get experience for when i graduate. I was wondering what year should i start looking and getting internships? Also do companies look at summer internships as less then school year internships? #marketing #internships
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9 answers
Katie Moser
Product Marketing, SAP | Focused on SAP S/4HANA & SAP Fiori user experience
4
Answers
Updated
Katie’s Answer
I agree with the good advice already shared. While you're asking "when" is the right time for an internship - I would also emphasize that finding summer jobs in your area of expertise is also a great opportunity to get experience and build your resume. I majored in Communications Management and worked for 2 summers as a reporter at our local newspaper - writing everything from farm and festival articles to helping with obituaries and layout. It was great experience that helped me get my first journalist job after college because I had a portfolio of work to demonstrate. Summer jobs are also a good way to learn what you like (or don't like) about a certain job/field.
Austin Cazort
Marketing Specialist at PIMCO
7
Answers
Irvine, California
Updated
Austin’s Answer
I don't think companies look at summer internships as less than a full-time internship, so definitely feel comfortable taking either opportunity.
Talk to your school to see if they have internships available, and also ask your parents and family friends if they know of anyone who is looking for a summer intern. Don't forget that non profits that are a part of your school can still count as experience too. For example, I was on the Relay for Life Marketing Committee at my college and was able to lead a team of 5 people to develop a marketing strategy for the event. This type of experience may give you more responsibility, but is a great way to learn in a hands-on way about marketing.
Talk to your school to see if they have internships available, and also ask your parents and family friends if they know of anyone who is looking for a summer intern. Don't forget that non profits that are a part of your school can still count as experience too. For example, I was on the Relay for Life Marketing Committee at my college and was able to lead a team of 5 people to develop a marketing strategy for the event. This type of experience may give you more responsibility, but is a great way to learn in a hands-on way about marketing.
Sarah Koenig
Corporate Responsibility
20
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
Great advice was already given, and I would echo to plan on looking for both summer and school-year internships after your freshman year! As you go through classes, you'll be able to target more specific areas of interest and look for internships throughout the college experience that will be in line with those. Aim for more general experiences at first to get a better understanding of the types of places/work you like, then get more targeted as you progress through college!
Alex Blitstein
Assurance
50
Answers
Santa Monica, California
Updated
Alex’s Answer
The most important thing is to attend as many events as possible and talk to as many people as possible. This will really open up your opportunities. Even if it doesn't apply to you it is always good to practice talking to professionals and recruiters.
Kaitlin Gwynn
Associate Client Manager at Nielsen
1
Answer
Austin, Texas
Updated
Kaitlin’s Answer
Hi James,
It's great that you are thinking and planning ahead! My recommendation would be to start looking for internships any time after your freshman year. I had my first internship in the summer after my sophomore year.
Your first couple semesters in college will be spent taking core classes and pre-requisites for your major (think basic math and English classes). After you've completed these, you'll start to take more marketing-specific courses for your major. It will help you during the internship interview process to be able to speak to the things you've learned in your marketing classes and how you plan to leverage that knowledge during your internship! In terms of year-long vs summer internships, I've found that potential employers have weighted both kinds of experiences equally. My summer internship is actually what landed me my current job! What future employers care about more is the relevance of the skills you learned. Make sure you are taking internships that are providing you with projects and experience you can talk about in detail when it comes time to interview for your first job. Companies want to see if you learned to manage your time, prioritize multiple projects, and overcome challenges. Some of the best advice I've received when searching for the right internship or a full-time job is to first research the role you'd like have. Take a look at job and internship postings and understand what is required to get the job. This will allow you to know what skills you need to build and work on to make you the best candidate for the position. Best of luck! college collegeprep marketing internships career-planning future-careers
It's great that you are thinking and planning ahead! My recommendation would be to start looking for internships any time after your freshman year. I had my first internship in the summer after my sophomore year.
Your first couple semesters in college will be spent taking core classes and pre-requisites for your major (think basic math and English classes). After you've completed these, you'll start to take more marketing-specific courses for your major. It will help you during the internship interview process to be able to speak to the things you've learned in your marketing classes and how you plan to leverage that knowledge during your internship! In terms of year-long vs summer internships, I've found that potential employers have weighted both kinds of experiences equally. My summer internship is actually what landed me my current job! What future employers care about more is the relevance of the skills you learned. Make sure you are taking internships that are providing you with projects and experience you can talk about in detail when it comes time to interview for your first job. Companies want to see if you learned to manage your time, prioritize multiple projects, and overcome challenges. Some of the best advice I've received when searching for the right internship or a full-time job is to first research the role you'd like have. Take a look at job and internship postings and understand what is required to get the job. This will allow you to know what skills you need to build and work on to make you the best candidate for the position. Best of luck! college collegeprep marketing internships career-planning future-careers
Austin Cazort
Marketing Specialist at PIMCO
7
Answers
Irvine, California
Updated
Austin’s Answer
Great that you're thinking about this now! I think summer internships are just as great as year-round ones and an especially good way too start.
Talk to your school to see if they have internships available, and also ask your parents and family friends if they know of anyone who is looking for a summer intern. I started off interning at small businesses and non profits, and because of the small structure I was able to learn a lot about the business and marketing responsibilities. Don't forget that non profits that are a part of your school can still count as experience too. For example, I was on the Relay for Life Marketing Committee at my college and was able to lead a team of 5 people to develop a marketing strategy for the event. This type of experience may give you more responsibility, but is a great way to learn in a hands-on way about marketing.
Talk to your school to see if they have internships available, and also ask your parents and family friends if they know of anyone who is looking for a summer intern. I started off interning at small businesses and non profits, and because of the small structure I was able to learn a lot about the business and marketing responsibilities. Don't forget that non profits that are a part of your school can still count as experience too. For example, I was on the Relay for Life Marketing Committee at my college and was able to lead a team of 5 people to develop a marketing strategy for the event. This type of experience may give you more responsibility, but is a great way to learn in a hands-on way about marketing.
Iris Berliner
Lead Mkt Manager
4
Answers
Long Beach, California
Updated
Iris’s Answer
Hi James - the college you go to might give you guidance on that. I would lean into that first.
Summers are also a good time to apply. Big companies usually put out their opportunities way early in the year.
There are also some companies that charge a fee but get you a sweet deal as well.
Best of luck!
Summers are also a good time to apply. Big companies usually put out their opportunities way early in the year.
There are also some companies that charge a fee but get you a sweet deal as well.
Best of luck!
Justin Quezada
Auditor
23
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Justin’s Answer
You should start as early as you can, and you can leverage this by joining student organizations. Joining organizations related to your major will give you exposure to your field and allow you to grow your network. Most importantly do not get discouraged during the application process. Good Luck on your journey!
Jake Heyer
Assurance
6
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Jake’s Answer
Hey James,
That's a great question! I had many of the same concerns when I was starting college. In terms of the timing of getting an internship, it is really up to you. I applied for internships starting my freshman year. Don't get discouraged if you do not get any offers as an underclassmen though, I did not get my first internship opportunity until i was a junior. It definitely doesn't hurt to apply for them early, but like I said it is really up to you.
To answer your second question, companies do not value your experience based on if it happened during the semester vs. in the summer. They are more focused on that you have job experience. In many cases, the experience doesn't even have to be related to what you ultimately want your career to be. Any experience in the real world is experience worth getting. I hope this helps!
That's a great question! I had many of the same concerns when I was starting college. In terms of the timing of getting an internship, it is really up to you. I applied for internships starting my freshman year. Don't get discouraged if you do not get any offers as an underclassmen though, I did not get my first internship opportunity until i was a junior. It definitely doesn't hurt to apply for them early, but like I said it is really up to you.
To answer your second question, companies do not value your experience based on if it happened during the semester vs. in the summer. They are more focused on that you have job experience. In many cases, the experience doesn't even have to be related to what you ultimately want your career to be. Any experience in the real world is experience worth getting. I hope this helps!