It’s Not Just About the Dates

When searching for internships, it’s easy to get caught up in the specifics of a single posting, like the exact start date. You are looking at the opportunities listed below thinking that it isn’t a fit because they are looking for Fall or Spring intern. But that can cause you to miss out on valuable information. Think of an internship posting not just as a job opening, but as a window into a company. You learn who they are and what they are looking for.

Here are a few key points to shift your perspective when reviewing the internship opportunities in CDCNews or CDCGrad News.

It’s Not Just About the Dates

You may fall into the trap of filtering your search for opportunities that perfectly align with summer. While this makes sense, you may overlook other valuable internships. The timing of an internship posting doesn’t always reflect when the company hires. Many companies post year-round openings, but they also have specific summer programs that just aren’t open for applications yet. If you notice an opportunity that captures your attention from a company, take note of it. The company is likely a good fit for your interest list of companies to intern and keep an eye out for their summer openings which will be posted later on.

The Early Bird Gets the Internship

The timeline for internship applications can be confusing. The most competitive internships, such as NBCUniversal, NYTimes, and MSG, open their applications as early as October or November. For most other companies, the application window typically opens in January. So, if you are hoping to land one of those competitive spots, prepare EARLY!

This is where treating the internship opportunity section in CDCNews or CDCGrad News as a source of information is crucial. These listed opportunities are for you to build a “target list” of companies you are interested in. When January rolls around, you will already have a curated list and can jump right into the application process, instead of starting your search from scratch. This gives you a significant advantage over other applicants.

By shifting your perspective and thinking of looking at listed opportunities as a source of information, you can get ahead of the game. Use the listings to build a strong list of target companies and stay prepared for when the right opportunities do become available.

Taking the CDC Internship Seminar will also give you an edge on internships by giving you a clear strategy. We cover the timeline of internships, how to use AI to help with your search and getting organized. Be sure to utilize all the resources available to make the internship search process less overwhelming and successful!