The Intern Virgin: How To Apply

Once you find an internship you like, it’s time to figure out how to stand out from other applicants. Internships can be competitive, whether it’s in engineering or journalism. This might seem obvious, but it gets by a lot of people: turn in your application well before the due date. You don’t want to be that kid who sends the application in minutes before it’s due.

Now that your screen is open to the application for the internship of your dreams, it’s time to craft a resume that fits the description. Check out our resume guide for how to write one.

Then think about what exactly will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. Sure, everyone’s parents tell them how special and different they are, but now it’s time to prove it.

Consider how your extracurricular activities and ability to work with technology will set you apart.

“When I got my internship, they told me I stood out from everyone because in my application I went into detail about my computer skills and they said they needed someone that would help make the place more technologically savvy,” Jason Grywcynski, a sophomore at Florida State University, said.

This is 2014 – technology runs everything, and if you can highlight any software experience, social media skills and familiarity with content management systems, you resume will be a step ahead of the game.

Next Step: How to follow up.