College is a great time to experience new things and have fun, but it’s also an important time to focus on your studies and decide on a future career path. An internship can be a wonderful opportunity to learn valuable skills in your field. I’ll be sharing my experience as an intern with Royal Credit Union, as well as some of the amazing opportunities that Royal provides to jumpstart you career! I will also be offering tips on how to find internship opportunities, submit your application, and nail your interview.
Royal Credit Union Internships
Royal Credit Union provides paid professional internships in several different areas for current college students. Internship opportunities include accounting/auditing, business process analyst, community engagement, digital marketing, marketing, mortgage, organizational talent services (HR), programmer analyst, technical services, and technical writing. Working at Royal Credit Union gives you the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of Royal’s Members each day, while continuing to develop professionally. With a workplace culture focused on engagement, openness, and positivity, Royal Credit Union is an excellent place to begin your career! See Royal’s current openings now.
In my experience as a marketing intern with Royal Credit Union, I have developed skills and real world experiences that will be greatly beneficial in my career. Some of my duties have included managing social media accounts, working directly with the marketing team to plan campaigns, filming and photographing Members for testimonials, and so much more. With an internship at Royal, you are doing real important work, and have a supportive team behind you to help you be prepared for the job. My Royal internship has given me a competitive advantage to use for future jobs, and valuable professional connections that will last a lifetime. Ready for some tips on landing the perfect internship? Read on below!
Getting Ready For An Internship: Use Campus Resources
Universities have career services offices to help students find jobs, whether it be internships or positions after graduation, so be sure to visit these offices to get information when starting your internship hunt. At career services, there are people and other resources that can help you in finding opportunities, creating a resume or cover letter, practicing interview skills, and much more. Career services also provides networking events, such as career fairs and alumni meet-and-greets. By attending these events, you can meet with potential employers, build connections, and learn about different companies and their internship opportunities they provide.
Another great campus resource is your peers and professors. Be sure to introduce yourself to your professors at the beginning of the semester, and maintain a relationship with them as they may consider your name if companies reach out to them for students that would be a good fit for their internship. As for your peers, connecting with other students in your major could lead to meeting with their professional connections and building your overall network.
Finding An Internship: Use The Internet To Job Hunt
Employers often post their internship opportunities to online job websites. Some popular examples are Indeed, Handshake, and LinkedIn. On these websites, you can use internship as a keyword to find opportunities, and filter for specific cities and states. To narrow your search further, you can include terms for your field such as ‘marketing’ or ‘communications’ to find internships that match your college program or future career.
When using a job hunting website, it’s important to apply to the position externally through the company’s website if you can, not only through the job hunting website. This is a great way to ensure the company receives your application, as applications that are received through a job hunting website can sometimes be overlooked or not even reviewed.
Use Your Connections To Find Other Internship Opportunities
Throughout college, you will be making connections with professors, peers, and business professionals from networking events or student organizations. Reach out to these connections and see if they know of any opportunities! Often, companies will contact professors with internship opportunities and request that they send their information to students or ask for recommendations. Be sure to keep a good relationship with your connections so they keep you in mind when opportunities arise.
Another easy connection to take advantage of is your family. Your parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and other family members. all might have connections to businesses that you may be able to intern with. Be sure to talk to your family when you begin your internship hunt- and see if they have any advice or opportunities for you!
Take The Time To Submit Internship Applications
If you are interested in an internship, no matter how small the chance you think you might have landing the position, apply! You never know what could happen, and it doesn’t hurt to submit an application. Be sure to include both a cover letter and resume, and triple check these before submitting as improper grammar can be a deal breaker. Be sure to adjust both your cover letter and resume to be relevant for the position you are applying for.
If there are questions specific to the company on the application, take your time completing these, and do not rush to fill in your answers. It is perfectly okay to save an application and go back to it later if the application system allows, and you can even work on and save your answers in a word processing app before entering them for extra peace of mind that they won’t be lost. Just make sure your application gets submitted before the deadline. If you feel comfortable, have a friend or family member read over your application to ensure you didn’t miss any details and used proper grammar. Don’t forget to include references, and confirm that your reference people are ready to talk about you with a company ahead of time!
Have A Successful Internship Interview
Congratulations, you’ve caught the company’s interest and they have selected you for an interview! Whether your interview is online or in-person, it’s important to prepare ahead of time for whatever they might throw your way.
Research the company, and have an understanding of their culture and who they are. In interviews, companies want to know that you have an interest in their company, and that you align with their values, so they will likely ask you why you think you’re a good fit. Be sure to also prepare questions for the interviewer about the company culture and the position.
Prepare your outfit ahead of time, and be sure to dress business causal or professional, depending on what your research about the company suggests. For most companies, this means wearing a blouse, polo, or blazer and being dressed nicely from the waist up if the interview is online, and a full pantsuit or slacks if you’re meeting in person. You should also avoid wearing open-toed shoes, jeans, or any other clothing items that you wouldn’t wear in a professional setting.
Arrive to your internship interview early! Be sure you know where the interview is taking place, and check out the location ahead of time so you aren’t late or lost. If the interview is virtual, check your microphone and camera before the interview to avoid running into technical difficulties.
Finding an internship is one of the first steps in kicking off your career. Find an opportunity that’s right for you and make the most out of it!
If a Royal internship sounds like the perfect opportunity for you, view our current openings and apply today!
