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Making the Most of Your Winter Break: Internship Searching

December 14, 2007

Winter Break is upon us: traveling home, sleeping in, holiday fun, and internship searching.... Internship what? Yes, it's that time again. Summer may be a long way off but deadlines for many summer internship positions are not.

If you're concerned about securing a summer internship or a job after graduation, here are some ways to take advantage of the time before classes resume.

For many companies this is a fairly relaxed time of year.

Start Networking

Many of you are "home" for the holidays and are planning to reside there during the summer as well. This means that you are in the perfect position to network and learn more about local opportunities. Instead of discussing the Cal football team over holiday dinners, this year talk to the people you know about what you're hoping to do during the summer. You never know who they might know or how they might be able to help.

For many companies this is a fairly relaxed time of year, especially right after the New Year. This can be a great time to find people willing to do informational interviews. Call or email and ask if you can take them out for a cup of coffee and learn more about the kind of work they do. Most people will be flattered by your interest in their work and happy to oblige. Don't forget, informational interviewing etiquette does not allow you to ask for a position, but you can certainly gain information on how to track one down. Also, check out the @cal Career Network for alumni who would be happy to answer questions for you.

Spice Up Your Resume

Stop by and pick up a free Job Search Guide, review the resume section online, or utilize the Cal Resume Wizard in CalJobs. You can have a career counselor review it by signing up for a Mini-Appointment and the Career Center is open during most of winter break.

Deadlines for submitting resumes can start as early as mid-winter break.

Start Looking for Opportunities

Summer will be here before you know it, and many of the attractive and paid internships and fellowships have early deadlines and often require lengthy applications. Get started now before the press of coursework begins again.

Check out CalJobs to see what kinds of positions are available now. Don't forget, new internships are listed daily; set up a Job Search Agent so you don't miss out. Our staff also has made a list of other recommended Job and Internship Listing Sites.

If there is an organization near your home that would be a perfect site for a summer internship, contact them now to talk about possible options for the summer and find out more about their application procedures.

Don't Forget about OCR

Many deadlines for popular internship positions are fast approaching, especially if you want to take advantage of the opportunities that are available through On-Campus Recruiting (OCR). Many popular companies conduct interviews at the Career Center for summer interns and since they usually pre-screen their applicants, deadlines for submitting resumes start as early as mid-December. Keep in mind that summer recruiting opportunities are open to all non-senior, Cal students. There is no fee.

Prepare for the Diversity Career Fair

The spring semester's largest career fair takes place at the end of January. A list of the participating employers, many of whom also employ summer interns, will be live in the Career Fairs section of this website towards the end of the first week in January.

Why winter break?

Preparing your materials, researching, applying for, and nailing down the right internship takes time. This is especially true when you are just getting started.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean you have to devote the whole break to internships. Do take some time to evaluate your situation and set a goal for yourself that is realistic and reflects your other, possibly less academic, goals for the time frame.

Here are some things you might do during winter break to get ahead in your internship search:

Review the extensive Internships section of this website.
Take home a Job Search Guide or view it online.
Prepare your Resume.
Write a sample Cover Letter.
Check out CalJobs to see what kinds of positions are available now.
Research opportunities in your home town.
Make an appointment with a Career Counselor.
Do two (or even five!) informational interviews.
Send off a few applications.

Start at the top and work your way down. Whether you just finish step one or wrap up all nine before school starts again, it's worth your time, even during winter break. If you need assistance, the Career Center is open during most of the semester break - closing only December 22 through January 2 at 1:00pm.