Written by Louis Nguyen and Sian Salazar | July 31, 2024
It can’t be denied that the job market has been looking a little bit tough lately. But let’s not forget one of our greatest advantages: We’re college students! That means that not only do we have time to enter the job market, but we have plenty of resources to support us in our attempts to do so. And how do we start to prepare ourselves for the job market? With an internship, of course.
You might hear horror stories about spreadsheets with 200 applied-for internships and 10 call backs. That success rate is even lower than USC’s rapidly declining acceptance rate. So how do you manage to actually land an internship?
General Advice
Use what is at your disposal. USC platforms like ConnectSC (now Handshake) may seem unappetizing because they’re always being shoved down your throat, but they are actually helpful. Don’t forget that employers posting on these platforms are specifically looking for USC students. And what are you? A USC student! That’s right, you fit the bill perfectly.
The Career Center. Guys, the Career Center exists for a reason. USC needs to boost their employment rate just as badly as you guys need a job or an internship. I can’t express enough how much USC wants us all to be employed, and the Career Center is exactly the place to go for that. They have the connections, or they know where to look to get them. Employers and recruiters reach out to them to look for USC students — that’s you guys. Don’t put yourself through needless work when opportunities can just fall into your lap. Go to the Career Center and just have a quick chat. If anything, they’ll remember you and send opportunities your way when they find something that fits.
LinkedIn. Yeah, I know. I can’t believe I just wrote that, either. LinkedIn can be a valuable tool if you know how to use it. I’m not saying you should be posting about every little thing you’ve ever done, but you certainly should be leveraging LinkedIn to find connections through fellow students, coworkers, and even professors.
LinkedIn is also an excellent resource to figure out what you want or don’t want to do. If you see someone working a position that you’re curious about, just send them a message to try and connect! The worst thing that can happen is they don’t reply. But if they say yes, try to set up a short meeting, and ask away! Also, be honest and vocal about your career goals. Who knows! You might land a referral from the meeting.
Similarly, if you’re especially passionate about any of the positions you’re applying for, you can try to find someone in that department on LinkedIn (bonus points if they’re a USC alumni). Send them a message, connect, learn more about their department, and again, if your goals and abilities are aligned with what they’re looking for, you might get a referral from the conversation.
Networking. Yes, networking is a real thing. People love to talk about the “Trojan Network,” but they do that because it’s real, and it’s very helpful. Alumni connections are strong, especially in a school with pride that runs as strong and deep as Trojan Pride does. Something that a lot of students may take for granted is that USC is, at the end of the day, a brand name, and it’s something to leverage in a lot of professional settings.
Many schools host specific networking sessions dedicated to your major, program, or area of study. Ex. Marshall, Dornsife host school-wide sessions, but POIR (Political Science and International Relations — very niche) does the same thing. So does the French department. No matter how small or specific your interests are, there’s a professional department that is eager to help you.
Many schools also have specific mentorship programs that pair you with professionals from similar backgrounds as you (first gen, POC, international students, etc.). If a LinkedIn coffee chat sounds awkward to you, these mentorship programs are a great way to allow yourself to have more time to establish a professional relationship that might help you not only in the internship search but also in the post-graduation job hunt.
Also, go to specific recruitment events that companies host at your school. Yes, there are a million other people in attendance, and the recruiter probably will not remember you or your resume. Yes, you should still go. Why? Not only is this the perfect way to know exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate, you can also ask specific questions on how to make your application stand out. And also, if you mention that you showed up to the recruitment event in both your cover letter and your interview? Major brownie points because now they know you care.
Final note from Sian: Even just talking about your interests helps! I mentioned to my professor in passing that I was interested in international development work, and it just so turned out that her best friend is some of the top brass at USAID, the US Government’s Agency for International Development. She connected us through LinkedIn (shocker!) and we chatted — now I’m living and working in DC for the summer. Magic can happen. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself.