Emma Whitner's Internship Advice for College Students

Most students won't do their first internship until at least the summer after their junior year, and sometimes not even until after they graduate.

Not only are internships difficult to land, but sometimes they aren't even paid! It's hard living in a world where you're expected to have 5-7 years' experience to get a job as a "recent graduate."
Emma Whitner, a sophomore at University of Florida, managed to land her first internship the summer after her freshman year, which almost unheard of.

Emma's list of recommendations is:
1. Make connections in your major, whether it be professors or people in that profession outside of your school. Emma really made an effort to reach out and make connections with people that her father knew and worked with. This helped her in the long run.
2. Visit the career center on campus and talk to them about your options. Not only will they know about companies looking for interns, but they will also be able to offer you advice on your resume and interviewing skills.
3. Speaking of resumes, Emma says to make sure that your resume is always up to date and professional-looking but creative enough to stand out in a crowd. It is also important to make sure you have a good list of references ready, these could be an old teacher, coach, or a professor for example.
4. Be persistent. Emma said that after she applied for internships, she followed up with them to make sure that the HR department received it. This shows that you have a lot of interest in that position. She also made sure to send a follow-up email after the interview thanking them for the opportunity.
5. Get a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is an incredible resource for making connections with people, has helpful articles about interviewing and applying for jobs, and it's an easy tool for job searching.
6. Finally, Emma says to apply for every internship that sparks your interest. You're more likely to get an interview if you apply to more places.