March Madness: Internship Style

March is here! Flowers are blooming, students are relaxing during their spring breaks and the NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing. If you aren’t a basketball fanatic, March Madness may not be important to you. We will take a different approach to March Madness by relating it to searching for internships.

Selection Sunday

In basketball, this is the day the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee reveals which teams have been selected to compete. In searching for internships, this is when you select the industry you’re interested in. If you’re searching for a marketing internship, determine if you’d rather intern at a marketing agency, non-profit organization, etc. There are many options out there, so do your research!

Sweet 16

This is the round of 16 basketball teams that have made it this far in the tournament. Once you have selected the industry, you can search for organizations. The number of organizations you’re interested in may be more or less than 16, but you get the point. If you’re really into the spirit of March Madness you can make a bracket of the organizations and start narrowing down your interests like the one below.

Elite 8

Similar to Sweet 16, this means the tournament is down to eight teams. You should limit the number of organizations to which you’re applying. It would take a lot of time to customize cover letters and resumes to 16 organizations. Use your organization bracket to help you limit your interests. If you’re having trouble deciding, draft a pros and cons list.

Final Four

The tournament is nearing the end with four teams remaining in the competition. In internship searching, this is when you need to perfect your four final indicators of work readiness. Cover letter, resume, relevant writing or work samples, and phone interview skills are what will impact your chances of being hired for an internship. You should customize your cover letter and resume to the position you’re applying for. If they ask for writing samples in the internship description, be sure to include those as well. Most organizations will do a phone interview before a face-to-face meeting. Prepare yourself by researching the organization and practicing what you might say to a few sample questions.

Championship

This is it, the final round (in our terms: interview). Your final interview may include a panel of interviewers, so be prepared. There are many resources available to improve your face-to-face interview skills. You should memorize information about the organization and the internship description. Be confident, friendly and respectful. After the interview, be sure to follow up with the interviewer(s) and thank them for their time.

“Hoopfully” after the championship (interview), you score an internship and start your path to success.