How to get an Internship with no Experience (2023)
If you’re looking for an internship with no experience, you’re not alone. Most people who want to get an internship have little to no work experience. But, what you may not realize is that you can still be successful in your search for an internship, even if you don’t have any experience.
There are many strategies that can help you get an internship without experience. Here is a blog that will give you a few tips on how to get an internship with no experience. By following some of the strategies suggested, you can make yourself a great candidate for an internship.
Also read – How should freshers apply for jobs (2022)
Can you get an Internship with no experience?
Yes, you can. An internship is supposed to be an experience-building activity. Hence it’s very unlikely that an organization will have a certain amount of experience as a prerequisite.
So it’s definitely possible to get an internship in the field of your interest without any experience, but it does come with certain obstacles. You will need to find different ways to express your passion in the field of internship you are applying for, as it is an important factor in the recruiting process.
Why are Internships important?
An internship is an opportunity you don’t want to waste. It can help you build your resume, gain valuable work experience, and make connections that could lead to an offer. According to a study done by Career Development International in 2014, there are many benefits for interns which can be categorized as job-related benefits, career-related benefits, and networking/job market benefits.
If you are a student, it will help you test their knowledge base and understand if they like the career they have chosen.
Lastly, they are a way for the students to connect with real-life experiences. This is something that they can take with them throughout the rest of their life. This will help them to become better students and also help them to succeed in a real-world situation.
How to identify the right Internship for you?
Internships are a great way to test your passion for the field of career you have chosen. You will understand the main responsibilities of the job role you aspire to achieve while not completely committing yourself to it.
Hence its best to apply for internships in the field of your interest and for the job roles, you want to learn more about. This will give will help you understand if that particular job role is a good fit for you if you were to take it up full time.
For example, if you aspire to work in the field of marketing, apply for internships at digital marketing agencies. This will give the exposure to different aspects of marketing, which will help you decide if it’s the right field for you, and also if there is a niche within that field you want to explore further.
If there you dont have a particular field in mind that you want to explore, you should look at opportunities where you can develop the skills you have.
Let’s say, you have great communication and research skills, so look for internships in the field of sales. If you are creative and like to draw, look for opportunities in the field of graphic design.
The idea here is to explore job roles that match your skill and conclude if that’s the long-term career you want to pursue.
What the expectations employers have from interns?
To put it simply, employers are mainly looking for somebody to do the entry-level tasks. As organizations grow, the high and mid-level employees take up more important responsibilities, and hence they need someone to take care of the entry-level responsibilities and that’s where interns come in.
But this doesn’t mean they will hire anyone and everyone for the role. They look for specific candidates who show genuine interest in the field of work. This is because it is very common for organizations to offer full-time roles to interns if they do a good job.
How to apply for Internships?
It’s a great place to find internship opportunities and understand the job market. You can also research the companies, identify the decision-makers and even apply for internships directly.
With every job posting, organizations usually also mention a job description. Now, this information is very important. The job description will cover the job role, responsibilities, and requirements. This will help you understand if this is the right option for you, and help you prepare your resume and for the interview if you do intend to apply.
You can also check if you have any connections working in the organization you are interested in and ask for a referral. This would definitely increase your chances of getting the internship.
Job Portals
There are multiple apps and websites where you can find job postings. Some of the popular job portals are Indeed.com and Monster.com.
In India, Naukri.com is very popular, and Internshala.com is a great platform that exclusively offers internships.
Job portals tend to be crowded spaces but it’s a great place to understand the job market. Hence it’s still a great place for research.
Social Media
You can follow and understand the social media activity of the organizations you want to join by engaging with them on social media platforms. The idea here is to keep in touch with the organizations and engage with them on social media.
Another bold move is to display your skills on one of these public platforms. Like Avkash Shah did, to bag an internship with CRED. The 21-year Graphic Designer made a video posted it on Linkedin and tagged CRED’s official page.
The video got viral and caught the attention of the right people. He was soon offered the internship. You can read more about it here.
Cold Emailing
probably my personal favorite approach for applying for an internship or a job. Send an email directly stating why you are applying, which position you are applying for and why particularly that organization.
Cold emailing will help you stand out as you would be directly approaching the organizations and cutting out the middle man. But it is important to frame the email in the right manner and also attach a personalized resume.
You will find the email id of the organization on their website. It is usually mentioned under the contact us page. There are also tools like Lusha or Rocketreach which will help you extract the email id of an individual recruiter or founders of the organization you are interested in.
How to structure your resume for an Internship?
Writing your resume could be tricky when you dont have much experience. But it’s still probably the most integral aspect of applying for an internship. Hence it’s important to cover all these important points –
- Mention the points which are relevant to the job you are posting for first. This can be your educational qualification or the projects you have worked on.
- Highlight the skills and requirements mentioned in the job descriptions. Recruiters usually skim through your resumes so it’s important to give them exactly what they are looking for.
- Take up some online courses and workshops related to the work you want to apply for. This will help you learn more about the job and also help you stand out among other candidates. Mention them in your resume
- Address the company directly in the resume. For example, instead of writing something like “ I want to have a positive impact on your organization” write “ I want to make a positive impact on <company name>”. This will let them know that it’s not just a generic resume you are sending to everyone.
How to prepare for the Internship interview?
Like any other interview, the key to a successful internship interview is being well prepared. Interviews usually consist of common questions with some variation here and there. Hence it’s important to prepare yourself beforehand. The main motive here is to highlight the right skills and your passion for that field of work.
These are some of the things you should research before the interview:
- Organization goals
- Job description
- Job roles
- Skills needed
This information will help you prepare relevant answers for the interview. This will show the recruiter that you have done your research and will help you stand out among other candidates.
Conclusion
Getting an internship with no experience is a simple process that involves writing an effective resume and applying to jobs online. The key to getting an internship with no experience is understanding that you need to stand out from other applicants. In order to do this, you will need a strong resume that highlights your skills and abilities. Another way to stand out is to apply to several jobs, as each time you apply you will have a better chance of getting the internship.
If you have any other ideas please leave them in the comments section below. We would love to hear them. Thank you for reading, and good luck!
