Vault Guide to Top Internships, 2009 Edition: Vault Career Guides and Employer Profiles

Vault Guide to Top Internships, 2009 Edition
Get the inside scoop on jobs and careers with Vault career guides. Vault Guide to Top Internships, 2009 Edition is your complete resource to jobs, careers, interviews and recruiting.

Vault Guide to Top Internships, 2009 Edition
Within these pages are the internships that represent top career opportunities that give students a chance to shine and flex their professional muscles. However, a few stand out above the rest: the Vault Top Ten Internships. Here's how the Vault editors made their (difficult) selection.

Pay and perks

Because so many internships are unpaid, compensation definitely makes a difference. That doesn't just mean cash, though: positions that offer interns housing, transportation and access to exclusive events are a huge plus as well.

On the job

The more engaging hands-on work and mentorship opportunities a program offers, the better. So when picking the Top Ten, we choose positions that will enable interns to take their experience out into the post-graduate world by giving them a taste of full-time experience as well as networking opportunities.

Looking forward

Internships are meant to prepare students and recent grads for the future, whether by allowing them to try out different industries or narrow their focus to one. Job placement-the offer rate to interns for full-time jobs-was a factor. Also important: what we call "resume radiance," a line on the resume that will impress future employers.

Pages: 608
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Read an excerpt from the Vault Guide to Top Internships, 2009 Edition

Tips for applying to internships

Let's say you've found an internship that interests you. The first thing you should do is follow all the instructions. Here's a short checklist of things you need to do when applying for internships.

Apply by the deadline. A few months before the deadline is even better--a small organization might just take the first qualified intern who applies.
Follow the instructions! If you're asked to provide a writing sample, don't send your photo portfolio. If you're asked to provide a reference, start canvassing your teachers and professors.
Make sure your resume is up-to-date and thoroughly spell-checked. If you've never written a resume, go to your schools career guidance center and ask for help. And ask an experienced professional or two whom you trust to review your resume. If you are applying for internships in different fields, you may need to have more than one version of your resume highlighting different experiences. Ensure that your most current contact information is on the resume.
Don't ignore the cover letter. Make a persuasive case in your cover letter, which should be tailored to each internship, that you really want to intern at the company. Do your research and be specific--and honest--about why the opportunity is right for you. Again, make sure you carefully proofread the cover letter. Let a trusted friend or teacher read it as well.
Follow up. If you're really interested in an internship, there's nothing wrong with a quick call or e-mail a few weeks after sending the application to let the organization know how interested you are. But don't pepper them with phone calls every day.
Carpe diem. If you're really interested in an internship, but your qualifications aren't quite right, apply anyway and stress your real interest. Many organizations would rather have a truly excited and motivated intern than one who just meets the qualifications on paper.
Take experience over money. You can always earn money; however, the window of opportunity for internships isn't open eternally. If you're really broke, consider taking a part-time job in order to work at the internship you really want.

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