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Some students are required to complete a summer internship before they can graduate, but internships are also beneficial to anyone who wants to gain work experience and explore their career options before they finish university. The problem is there’s a lot of competition for internships. The last thing you want is to settle for something that doesn’t match your goals, lead to useful connections, or help you discover more about what you find interesting. At the same time, though, you need to avoid being too selective — there are many internships that could be ideal for you. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you line up something great.

1. Research Your Options

You can find internships advertised in all sorts of places. A good place to start is the career centre at your university. Since the companies who advertise here will have specifically chosen to work with students at your university, you may have better odds of landing a position. Plus, the staff at the career centre will know exactly what you need to do to increase your chances.

Your career centre can also put you in touch with alumni. Many employers like to offer opportunities to students from their alma mater. In addition, you may be able to talk to recent graduates about the internships they completed to hear about their experiences and find out what they recommend.

Outside your university, you can look for internships on job sites (particularly those that specialize in jobs within the industry you want to enter). Alternatively, if there’s a company you’d love to work for, contact the hiring manager to ask about internships.

2. Prepare Everything You’ll Need

To improve your chances of success, start preparing early. Begin by updating your resume, including keywords that employers will be searching for. You’ll need to tweak your resume slightly for each internship, but it should be basically the same for every application.

You’ll also need a unique cover letter for each application. You can receive support from your career centre for writing cover letters that highlight the qualities that make you perfect for the internship and express your interest in the company.

Finally, check your LinkedIn profile to ensure it mentions all your relevant experience. Employers will likely Google you even before they offer you an interview.

3. Apply by the Deadline

Keep track of deadlines, as each internship will be different. Make a note of when you need to send applications and when interviews take place. In addition, add reminders to your calendar to reach out to the companies if you haven’t heard back by a certain date.

You’ll need to have somewhere you can live over the summer while you’re at your internship, which means you also need to start looking for student rentals. Kingston, Ontario, has the student community at Foundry Mack. You’ll have a modern apartment with fast internet and top-of-the-line appliances, including a washer and dryer. Apply for a lease now before it’s too late.