Do you know that applying for an internship at a startup company comes with tons of excellent benefits? One of the advantages of taking this move is that it’ll increase your chances of quickly securing an internship. Furthermore, securing an internship at a startup also means more work responsibility for you, which will end up improving you and getting you prepared for your first job.
While securing an internship at a startup comes with tons of benefits, you need to keep in mind that it’s not easy to do. There’s no denying that it’s much easier than applying to a well-established company. However, it would help if you considered several factors to boost your chances of quickly securing a good startup internship.
The first step to securing a startup internship requires researching and understanding the best companies for you. Next, you need to make sure your resume stands out, as most startups will be interested in your past projects or open-source contributions.
Why should you consider a startup internship? What is the best way to secure an internship at a startup? How to craft a good resume for a startup internship? These and more are the questions you’ll find answers to as you read through the rest of this post.
What Should You Consider A Startup Internship?
Before applying for internships at startups, here’s a quick question – what exactly is in it for you when you get a startup internship?
Just like getting an internship at a well-established company comes with many advantages, startup internships also offer tons of unique benefits to students. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons to intern for a startup.
- You’ll stand a better chance of quickly securing an internship
You’ll surely agree with me that getting an internship at a large company is a pretty good thing. Because of that, everybody will be applying to these companies.
No doubt, large companies often have plenty of internship spaces. However, since many people will be applying, the chances of getting any of them become very slim. Here’s why you need to start considering interning at a startup.
Not many people understand the benefits attached to securing an internship at a startup. Because of that, only a few people will be applying for a position in the companies. So, by keeping everything in place, you’re most likely going to secure an internship quickly.
- More responsibilities
When you secure an internship at a large company, there’ll be a limit to what you’ll be able to do. It might even take a pretty long time before you’ll get the chance to work on real projects with little or no supervision.
However, that’s not the case for a startup, as time and resources are valuable to the company. Since that’s always the case, it’s safe to say that interning at a startup means you’ll get more responsibilities and projects to work on.
Yes, I know it looks more of a disadvantage to take on more responsibilities in a startup. But that’s not the truth. When you work with a solid team to execute projects successfully, you’ll get more experience, which will help you when you’re ready to look for your first job.
- More Feedback
For every project worked on, feedback is essential for you to get better. In a startup company, getting an internship will allow you to work more closely with the head of departments and other employees. So, when you work on projects, it’s easy to get feedback from these people regarding your performance quickly.
No doubt, getting feedback for the few projects you work on also happens in large corporations. However, the only difference is that you might not get the chance to work closely with senior colleagues. That’s so because everybody isn’t always treated equally, as in the case of many startups.
Here, the bottom line is that you’ll learn better from your peers and yourself when you intern with a startup company.
What Are The Best Ways To Secure A Startup Internship?
Are you looking to intern at a startup but confused as to where to start from? The first step you need to take is to begin searching for companies that align with your interests. After the start, you can start applying to these companies. Find out everything you need to know about how to land a startup internship successfully below:
- Start by searching for startups
As earlier mentioned, searching for companies that align with your interests is the first step to securing a startup internship. Doing just that will enable you to identify the best startups for you and focus your applications on just them.
All startups have in common that they exist to bring a business idea to fruition. Since that’s the case, all you need to do is think about the companies you believe have the same passion as their ideas.
Furthermore, studying in college is an excellent factor to consider when looking for a startup for your internship. As a tech student, the best thing you can do is to search for tech startups. As a pre-med student, your best option is to search for health tech startup companies.
If you’re finding it hard to identify the best startups that align with your interest, you need not worry too much. AngelList, a startup community, is one of the best platforms you can always rely on to get the job done. Other platforms you can check to find the best startups include CrunchBase, Product Hunt, Mashable, Uncubed, and TechCrunch.
- Find the best position
The next step in securing a startup internship is to find the best position you can occupy in the company. Since you’ll have to apply for the training, you need to have a specific place in mind to take up in the startup company.
It now comes down to what position you will be applying for in the startup company? Is it sales, marketing, IT, customer service, social media, or quality assurance?
After understanding the role you believe you’re capable of playing, the next step is looking for available options. Do the companies you searched for currently have openings for the position you’re looking to occupy? So, it would help if you looked around for any adverts regarding the work you have in mind. You can always look for opportunities on these platforms; Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
- Find the right person to message in the startups
By now, I believe you’ve already gotten a list of the startups that align with your interests. So, the real question is; how do you get in contact with these companies?
In a startup, the founder is that number one person you can always think of messaging. That’s so because they are responsible for bringing in talents to the company. This is especially true for startups with few team members. If you think you have all it takes, go for it – the company needs you more than you need it.
You can always message senior employees in the company – if the startup is a little bit established and has many employees. So, start researching to find key employees in the startup companies on your list. As soon as you see them, you can always reach out to them on LinkedIn to talk about the possibilities of interning with their startup.
- How do you craft your message?
Since you’re a total stranger to the person you’re writing, it’s essential to understand the best way to craft the message. This can also boost your chances of quickly securing a position at the startup.
The first tip to getting it right is to keep the message short and precise. Go straight to the point; start by talking about who you are and exactly what you’re looking for.
Next, proceed and briefly state why you’re interested in interning with the startup company. Here, you can always talk about how you got to know about the company, including how the company’s business idea aligns with your interests.
Next, talk about why the company needs you to intern with them. Here, you need to state briefly what values you possess and how the company will benefit primarily from them. After that, conclude your message and send it over to the intended person.
Ensure you follow up with a short message in case you’ve waited for a long time without any response. If you’re not getting a response from the first message, it could be that you directed the message to the wrong person. This time, ask to know whether or not the message is directed to the right person. If not, you can always ask politely for the right person to lead the news to.
- Do you have a good resume?
You also need to attach yours in addition to the message or cover letter you’re directing to the startup company. So, the question is, do you have a good resume for a startup internship? If yes, all you need to do is attach it to the message before sending it to the company’s startup founder or senior employees.
If you don’t have a good resume, the first thing you need to do is find a way to craft one. It’s worth noting that a startup internship CV isn’t something you can design anyhow, and there are certain factors you’ll need to put in mind when crafting the piece. That said, you can check the next section of this post to see how to prepare a good read for a startup internship.
What Do You Need To Include In Your Internship Resume?
The first important information you need to add to an internship resume is your contact details, including your name, location, email address, and phone number. It will help if you put them at the top of your resume.
Furthermore, it’s worth keeping in mind that the type of email you use for your resume also matters. It’s an official thing – so, ensure you use a highly professional email address.
A summary statement is also essential in an internship resume. Although many people say, it’s optional, adding a summary statement to your CV means talking briefly about your qualifications and experience.
Up next on the resume is your Educational Background. Here, you’ll need to include the name of your institution and its location, your degree, and intended significance, when you’ll be graduating, your current GPA, etc.
Now is the time to talk about your previous career-related experiences. Make sure you list your work experiences in reverse chronological order. Also, focus more on the experiences that have one or two things in common with the role you’re looking to get at the startup.
What are the skills you possess? This is the right time to start listing them. For instance, if you’re applying to a tech startup, all you need to do is list tech-related skills that you possess, such as HTML5, JavaScript, Python, etc. In addition to these skills, you can also add a list of your soft skills in this section.
Tips On How To Write Your Resume
Now that you know what to include in your resume, it’s time to start writing it. Here are some of what you should keep in mind when writing your internship CV:
- First, make sure you keep your resume simple.
- Be specific and ensure you use keywords, as the company may try to use application tracking software (ATS) systems to simplify the process – if there are a lot of applicants.
- Check for grammar and spelling errors before submitting your resume – this matters a lot.
Conclusion
The key to getting a great internship is memorable. It’s not enough for your resume and cover letter to be good; you need to make an impression on the person reading it as well. You can do this by having a unique summary of what you will bring to the company, including any special skills or knowledge that may help them in their position. Then show off those strengths with specific examples from experience.
Once you’ve narrowed down which companies interest you, please do some research about what they offer through their website or social media channels (and don’t forget Glassdoor!) Then craft an email introducing yourself and why this company is perfect for you – including any relevant experience.
You want to be prepared for what it will take to succeed in this environment and have realistic expectations before starting your journey there.
Finding out more information on how they work is important because working with startups can sometimes feel like being thrown into the deep end without knowing how or why anything works.
The article has given you some great tips that should help prepare anyone who wants to intern at a startup – now go ahead and start following these steps!
Quick Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
Is digital marketing a valuable skill for entrepreneurship?
It has been shown that product success rates are anywhere from 6-20% better for products with professionally created marketing materials than for those that do not. Not only that, but through the use of digital marketing, entrepreneurs can reach customers around the world at low costs and turn prospects into business customers more efficiently than ever before. Marketing is an essential skill for any entrepreneurial endeavor to succeed.
Does silicon valley offer a summer internship?
Yes! Silicon Valley offers many positions for interns, often depending upon which sort of company you are interested in. Numerous companies provide internships for software developers, engineers, business development/promotion positions, marketing positions, management positions, or other opportunities. Internships give aspiring candidates the chance to see if they’re a perfect fit for the ranks before committing fully. And it’s an excellent opportunity to level up your skills on the job with real-world work experience!
Are unpaid internships better than paid internships?
Paid internships are the most common alternative to unpaid internships, but both have benefits and drawbacks. It can be challenging for students with no work experience to be accepted into a paid internship position because employers often want interns who have had some previous work experience.
What’s the difference between a startup intern to a student intern?
A startup intern focuses on learning about the business. At the same time, the student interns work to understand more about their desired field of study, like engineering or design.
Is an internship opportunity for a college student worth it?
Internships are an excellent opportunity because they provide the student with an in-depth look at a career field or industry and allow them to work in real-time for a company that can potentially hire them. It also incentivizes the student to complete their degree to be more competitive in the workplace.
What’s the best internship program for a graduate student?
Choosing which internship program to use for your career is a complex process. To the best answer, this question searches on Google for “What’s the best internship program” both in terms of internships and job placement, as well as the cost of each, would be instructive before making a decision.
Do job fairs offer a virtual internship?
Job fairs typically offer on-the-ground internship information where you can learn about current opportunities and network with potential employers. If you’re looking for a virtual internship opportunity, we recommend that you search for them via the internet.
What opportunity does an internship coordinator give?
An internship coordinator invests in people by providing them with challenging opportunities to develop skills, lose their social inhibitions, get inspired by being around amazing people, and learn things they don’t know. An internship coordinator’s overriding goal is for the interns to be big successes after the program. And if you want an easy job that doesn’t give you any sleepless nights, then find something else because it will never happen here!
What’s the best internship position at a career fair?
You’ll be better served looking for the company that has the department where you would like to work, rather than answering whatever is offered. Internships are terrific opportunities because they let people explore what they’re good at.
Does being a real entrepreneur work?
Being a true entrepreneur is very difficult to work because it requires a comprehensive combination of skills. You have to be both creative and knowledgeable to come up with fantastic ideas that others will want, can plan and organize, have diplomacy and social skills to negotiate contracts, marketing savvy so you can grow your customer base, financial expertise, so you know how much money you need from investors after all expenses are paid for your business idea or venture, advanced skill-sets in sales or project management–the list goes on.
What is a job board program?
Job board programs are websites that post jobs on their homepages for any user to see. These programs are often owned by companies recruiting or job sites with high traffic of viewers per day.
Where can I find internship openings for a recent graduate?
One way to find internship openings is to search online, and another way is to attend on-campus recruiting days and events. Internship boards are also helpful in some cases, such as on university websites or corporate intranets.
How do I prepare for a summer intern interview?
The number one rule of any interview is to be authentic. To do this, first, research the company and learn about its values and goals. That way, you can highlight your qualifications that are relevant for this specific position.
What are portfolio companies?
Portfolio companies are businesses that an investor invests in to achieve higher returns than the traditional stock market.
Does the startup ecosystem include company culture?
In the startup culture, there’s a little bit of everything. Grunge rockers to nerdy geeks from all around the world and from every walk in life who made their way in this exclusive club by sheer force of will and optimism – in businesses that operate nonstop, 24 hours a day with absolutely no vacations allowed under any circumstances. This lifestyle is not for everybody, though- maybe not even for most people.
What valuable skills can you learn from established companies?
Competent employees demonstrate excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, the ability to work well as part of a team, and the understanding that they will be evaluated based on what is best for their organization. These skills are transferable across job titles, industries, and employers.
How do I talk to a hiring manager of a potential employer?
As with anything in life, preparation is critical. Take time to research the company before inquiring about open positions thoroughly. Brush up on their available job postings. Come prepared with thoughtful questions to discuss how you would be a good fit for their organization. Find out who the hiring manager is and what qualities are important to them by checking LinkedIn or Google searching “<company name> hiring manager.”
