Four Ways to Gain Experience Before an Internship

Many college students run into the hurdle of not having enough experience for an internship. This is a common issue: how do you gain experience to gain experience at an internship? The good news is that there are other ways to bulk up your resume and enhance your skills. Check out my suggestions below!

1 . Side hustle

A part-time job, or side hustle, is a great way to develop various skills to add to your resume. Part-time jobs can enhance your soft skills: communication, decision-making, teamwork, work ethic and more. While it may be difficult to balance your class schedule with a job, the practice can improve your organization and planning skills. For tips on how to manage this juggling act, check out this blog.

2 . Campus involvement

Campus involvement looks great on your resume for added experience and shows you have initiative. Leadership development and civic-engagement programs, athletics or intramural sports, fraternities/sororities and student organizations are excellent examples of involvement! Many colleges and universities promote these opportunities around campus or have a designated web page. A quick search can lead to numerous options that match your interests and goals.

3 . Volunteer

Volunteering can look great on your resume for skills, experience and interest in giving back to the community. There are many non-profit organizations that would love your help with various tasks. If you can’t dedicate hours to physically volunteer, some organizations may have virtual opportunities. You could help with social media, data entry, web site design or creating marketing materials. Most colleges and universities promote volunteer work and may have a web page dedicated to opportunities. If you can’t find what you’re looking for through your school, try searching on Volunteer Match, an online database for in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities.

4 . Create your own experience

You can create your own opportunities to enhance your skills. Writing a blog, designing a web site, creating flyers or editing your own photography/videography are excellent ways to practice your skills for the real world. If you’re interested in a journalism internship, you can practice writing news articles on whatever interests you. Get out in the community and find a story! If you’re interested in a graphic design internship, practice using design software and create a few graphics to add to your portfolio.

How did I gain experience, you may ask? My first and only internship was with Indiana INTERNnet. However, my resume was filled with part and full-time job experience. I listed the relevant responsibilities from each job on my resume. In Indiana INTERNnet’s internship description, the responsibilities included managing social media accounts, assisting with events logistics and writing organizational materials. In an effort to match the internship posting, I altered my resume to match the responsibilities for the internship. At Job A, I planned multiple small events and managed the company’s Facebook page. At Job B, I wrote copy and designed an information flyer. As well as, my experience in customer service and administrative duties at each job.

In one of my previous part-time jobs, I was a doggy daycare counselor.