Tips for Finding an Internship on Your Own
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Seek help from your friends
and family; particularly those who work in finance or who have good
contacts at financial firms
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Attend the internship fair
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Go to senior day and ask the
firms recruiting there how you may proceed to get an internship with
them. Ask if they have an internship program. Ask for the name of the
person you could contact.
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Consult e-recruiting websites.
Get a list of firms and contacts to explore if they offer internships.
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Ask the internship coordinator
for material regarding finance careers. See what appeals to you and what
types of financial firms offer these career paths. Then look at the
local telephone book's yellow pages for particular financial firms to
contact.
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Prepare a letter of
introduction indicating your desire for an internship. In it, spell out
your qualifications, unique skills, and personal interests. Send it or
take it directly to firms.
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Dress up and actually call on
firms. Try to get an on-the-spot initial interview with someone that
might be helpful to you. Give them your letter of introduction and
contact information.
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It will be easiest to find a
non-paid internship. While students may appreciate pay, the internship
experience may be better if there is no pay. The employer will not be
inclined to assign routine and low skill tasks in order to justify the
added salary expense.
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It is helpful for students to
offer to do special projects. Many companies have a project they need to
accomplish but not the time and personnel to do it. Be sure to state
your special skills, like computer knowledge or basic financial
analysis.
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Ask your finance professors if
they have any suggestions regarding an internship or any contacts for
you to use.
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Do not limit yourself to
looking for internships at financial institutions. Many other types of
businesses have financial applications that would be good as an
internship experience.
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Try
not-for-profit or volunteer organizations. They may have a financial
application or problem with which you can help.
