It is that time of year to hunt down internships to complete over the summer. But how is one suppose to tackle finding an internship? Well, here is my guide from my experience hunting down internships.

1. Use your university resources, but also investigate companies you are interested in.

Your university is there to help. Feel free to pop into your career center for help or browse the job hunting site for positions. However, your career center may not have all openings listed such as Walt Disney isn’t listed on our job site. I had to pursue that one on my own with my own resources, but I decided I loved the company enough to hunt an opportunity down.

2. Narrow your search.

There are so many job postings out there that it can be overwhelming. I focus my search on 3 main criteria: city, type of job, and interest in position. Don’t apply for everything! That is just wasting time.

3. Prep your resume and cover letter templates early.

Resumes are an obvious prep before hunting, but having a template cover letter that you can use helps cut your writing time down in half when one is requested.

4. Have a few people who can do recommendations on the ready.

Some companies have quick deadlines for their positions so make sure your people that will right recommendations can do so quickly and in the format requested. I usually ask 2 to 3 reliable people to be my go to people.

5. Use a planner to track application deadlines and interview schedules.

A planner is a great way to track deadlines and to dos for job hunting along with all the the activities in your life. It also helps you be efficient.