Finding an internship from a ‘tweet’

This is a guest post from Jenna Whalen, a student at the University of Indianapolis. She found her upcoming summer internship with DistinXion from a tweet posted by Indiana INTERNnet.

Last year I was extremely lucky with my internship search.

Sure, I had a few roadblocks, but my professor introduced me to the person who ended up being my boss for the summer. From there, it just took off with very little effort on my part.

This year, though, I wasn’t quite as lucky.

I began my search in December and applied with 14 different places. I had a few interviews and a couple offers, but nothing seemed like a good fit. I was frustrated because I thought I had exhausted all avenues – I’d been on numerous websites and had also communicated with several key people.

Just when I was reaching the height of my frustration, something unexpected happened. I was on Twitter one evening checking my newsfeed when I saw Indiana INTERNnet tweet about an upcoming internship deadline.

Up until this point, I’d never considered using social media as a tool to find internships. I’d thought of it as a way to stay connected with friends, but not as a way to make new connections.

I’ve been using social media since sixth grade, starting with instant messenger (complete with a screen name that made 11-year-old me feel cool but embarrasses 21-year-old me). Even though my generation has been immersed in social media nearly all our lives, it’s a fairly new resource as far as technology goes. People are still learning how to use it to its full potential, so it makes sense that many college students don’t reference it when looking for an internship.

Finding an internship via social media doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and there are many different ways to go about it. If there is a company that interests you, follow them on Twitter. Many companies will tweet about internship or job opportunities, so this will keep you current on that company’s hiring situation. If you are looking for a one-stop shop, follow a third-party group that posts numerous internships across the board. Hint: you’re interacting with one right now (Indiana INTERNnet)!

I’m excited for my internship this summer, but I would have never had this opportunity if it wasn’t for Twitter. My advice for students: whether you’re looking for an internship or just want to test the waters for the future, remember that social media is a strong networking tool.

You never know… your dream internship may just be a tweet away!