Many people who are studying higher education are looking for an internship to develop in practice what was seen in the classroom.
There are also cases of people who want to work in different areas of their training and see the internship as a way to take the first step towards a career transition.
Whatever your goal, finding the ideal internship is not an easy task. There are many questions about how this process works and, mainly, how to get an internship in the area you want.
But rest assured that today we will teach you how to do this search in the best possible way. Let's go?
How to get an internship?
1. Make an updated resume
If you've never worked, don't worry! Although some companies value professional experience, this should not be required, much less expected from someone looking for an internship.
So, on your resume, focus on showing experiences that can help you play your role within the company, even if they are not necessarily professional experiences.
Highlight projects you participated in at school or college, cite courses that brought you important knowledge, workshops, lectures, volunteer work and even informal work that enabled you to learn something new.
This is the moment to look at your life trajectory and show everything you've learned and are willing to learn, and how the knowledge acquired so far can help you to chart a successful professional career.
For more details on how to write an early career resume, see our article on Young Apprentice.
2. Know which area you want to work in
Before you start looking for an internship, do some research on your areas of interest and find out what first steps you want to take in your career.
If you are taking a higher education course, there are more chances that you will get an internship in areas related to your college. If you want to work in a different area of your training, it will be a little more work, but it is also possible. There are companies that are open to people with different degrees, regardless of the area you intend to work in.
The most important thing here is to know where you want to start and which area you want to learn more about, after all, the internship is the ideal time to gain experience, develop technical skills and learn more about the job market.
3. Discover the skills needed to perform the role
There is usually no need to develop any technical skills before starting the internship, as this is precisely where you will learn such skills, but do a brief research on what you will need to develop to work in a given role.
Also, identify behavioral skills that will help you work on those skills.
For example, imagine that you want to act in an administrative role. Even if you don't know how the documentation processes, issue of invoices and other activities specific to the area work, research what behavioral skills would be needed to perform such activities.
In the example above, skills such as: organization, teamwork and good communication can be observed during dynamics and interviews, as they indicate who would be able to perform the day-to-day tasks of the function well and develop technical skills more easily.
Therefore, know how to identify which behaviors are important and are related to your future profession, as they can be evaluated during the selection processes.
Remember to always be transparent and not fake behavior that is not typical of you, because the people you are recruiting are trained to notice this kind of thing and can find out.
This can not only help you in more technical or problem-solving dynamics and interviews, but also show the recruiter that you are someone who is really interested in developing in that area.
4. Start your job search
Once you identify which area you want to work in and what skills are needed, start researching job opportunities in job sites.
Filter by job type — which in this case would be an internship — and area of interest. It is also important to research the specific nomenclatures used by your area of interest, as sometimes there may be technical names that you are not familiar with, but which are related to what you are looking for.
5. Study the company culture
Every company has an organizational culture which, in short, is the set of values that the organization preaches and values in its employees.
For example, in a company that has a very strong value of teamwork, people who know how to work well in groups are more likely to stand out in the selection process.
In addition, there are companies that can give greater weight to the cultural profile than to the technical profile, that is, it is very important that the person has beliefs and values that go according to what the company believes.
So, in addition to paying attention to the technical requirements of a vacancy, it is important that you study the values of the company you are applying for. This is important not only to do well in the selection processes, but to analyze whether that company really suits you and if it goes according to your principles.
To find out the company's organizational culture, just look for its name on the internet and find the organization's official website. Inside it, look for a page with names such as: our values, our culture, about the company, etc.
From this information, you can already assess whether the company matches your profile or not.
6. Search for companies that suit you
After you've already researched the organizational culture of the companies you're interested in working for, select the ones you believe match you best.
See if the beliefs, values and ways of working align with what you believe and expect for your professional life. To do this, research not only the organizational culture, but also other information to better understand what these companies do, what their history is, what they aim for, etc.
7. Prepare for interviews
Although companies are not always understanding with regard to the level of technical skill of candidates, many understand that most have not yet had any kind of contact with the job market, so don't worry about specific knowledge about the area.
It is very important that you prepare well for the interview. If you've done all the steps above, you'll already be more prepared than most people.
In addition to what has already been mentioned above, it is also essential that you plan ahead, so that on the day you can just rest and be calm during the interview.
At that moment, keep calm and answer whatever the recruiter is asking you, without being too direct or going too far to talk, seek objectivity, but in a way that contextualizes what the person wants to know.
Keep in mind different examples of situations in which you faced difficulties - even if they are personal examples - and how you managed to overcome them. Also demonstrate self-knowledge and personal improvement, scoring your strengths and points to develop.
In general, study a lot about the company, the career you intend to follow and yourself, to be able to draw a narrative that makes sense and fits these 3 points.
8. Get Organized
The moment of looking for an internship can be extremely exhausting and stressful, as there are many steps, vacancies applied, going to interviews and a lot of apprehension for the response of companies.
With that in mind, be careful not to get disorganized amid so much information and end up missing deadlines and contacts with companies.
Keep your e-mail always updated and have other ways to organize and follow the progress of the selection processes. For example, you can use a spreadsheet to record activities and dates, or stick sticky notes in easily visible places, or even, have calendar apps that can remind you about each of the steps.
The important thing at this point is not to miss any deadlines and take the time to do each step calmly. That is, planning and organization are essential for your success in this search.
9. Know how to tell your story
Finally, the most important thing when it comes to getting an internship is knowing how to tell your story! Of course, training, courses and volunteer work can help you, but if you haven't had the opportunity to do any of these things, don't despair.
Many companies are looking for people who are passionate about their purpose, who are motivated, creative and who want to learn and develop.
Learn how to tell your story so that you can charm the recruiter in such a way that they want to hire you. All this you can do by the way you speak and by your behavior.
Speak enthusiastically about yourself and the company, and learn how to tell your story in the best possible way, so that it is charming and connects with the purpose of the organization.
internship vacancies
How about starting this internship search?
Find internship vacancies in the biggest companies in Brazil on Gupy Job Portal and use these tips to do well in the selection processes!
The most important thing about everything we've seen so far is knowing how to show who you are to companies, finding organizations that match you, getting organized and keeping calm during the stages of these processes. Good luck and we are rooting for you!
