How To Land Your Dream Internship

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Anna Wu March 8, 2019

Internship season is rolling around faster than you might think. It’s easy to stress yourself out about aspects of the application process such as competition, interviews, and qualificatio

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

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Internship season is rolling around faster than you might think. It’s easy to stress yourself out about aspects of the application process such as competition, interviews, and qualifications. Here are six foolproof ways you can help yourself land the internship of your dreams.

If you’re in college and looking for an internship, pay your Career Services Center a visit. A lot of the times, colleges will have websites where they post internships in the area or within a certain discipline. You might need to do some digging to find the ones for you, but take advantage of your school’s connections with existing internship opportunities. You might even come across something interesting you never previously thought about.

Talk to as many people as you can, including family, family friends, peers, and mentors about your internship search. Ask if they have any leads or know anyone in the area you’re interested in pursuing. If you’re an underclassman, chances are you’re not going to have much experience on your resume. Connections are key, so form as many as you can. You never know what the outcome might be.

Cater your resume to the specific job. Take your experiences and make sure they reflect the traits the internship is looking for in a candidate. For example, if it’s a public relations internship, frame your resume so that it plays to the community outreach and branding aspects of what you did in previous jobs. Do research on the company and tweak your resume so that it’s unique to every internship you’re applying for. This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s worth it if you want to catch the eye of whoever’s reading the application. The employers are sifting through hundreds of applications a day, so you want yours to stand out from the rest.

Don’t be selective; send out a ton of applications. If you send out 20, you’ll probably hear back from two or three employers. Chuck your ego out the door, and get a resume out to as many people as you can. It’s important to remember that the work you will be doing at an internship is not what you’re going to be doing for the rest of your life. They’re there to give you some work experience. Try to be open minded and you’ll quickly be able to figure out what you want your next internship to be (and not be). Trust that as time goes on, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what interests you and what you want to pursue.

If you get an interview, congratulations! During your interview, you want to make sure you appear passionate about the position. Know what the company does and memorize its mission statement. Genuine interest will take you really far. Talk about your strengths, but frame them in a way that puts the company first- how your strengths benefit the company as opposed to how the company will benefit you. Package yourself in a way that the company will think, “This person will fit the needs of our company."

Start now. Think about broader industries that you’re interested in - is it finance, beauty, advertising? Research the big companies that make up those industries and see if they have internship programs listed on their websites. This will require some time, but these programs will give you the best experience to carry you from internship to internship. Not to mention, they will look great on your resume.