• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Career / How Not to Get an Internship

How Not to Get an Internship

August 5, 2015 //  by Allison George

Shares20FacebookTweet

At one point or another in your college career, you’re going to start considering the big “I”—internships. I know: Groan Zone. With consequences like increased connections, depth of experience and maybe a little extra cash, who has the time to bother? If you’re looking to fill out a few apps to appease the ‘rents, but ultimately evade the horror, just follow these tips.

Narrow Those Horizons

giphy.com
giphy.com

A quick Google search of the top companies in your field from the top of your head followed by the word “internship” is enough to lead you to a few postings, so why keep digging? After all, your goal here to is avoid getting the job. With the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of competitors from schools around the country that are probably hitting up the same company, the odds are already stacked against you. Hit “submit” on the app for that Facebook marketing position and call it a day.

Stay in Your Comfort Zone

giphy.com
giphy.com

Phone calls are scary. Go-sees are scary. Asking around to your profs, advisors and current employers—all very intimidating. So just don’t do it. Keep your internship search confined to the comfort of your own bed as you send out a few half-assed email inquiries while binge-watching Friends on Netflix. Team Rosschel or team Mondler, you’ll thank me later. 

Do it On Your Own

giphy.com
giphy.com

You know yourself best, so don’t let anyone else speak for you. Sure, maybe that English prof you scored straight A’s with last semester has some connections in publishing or your engineering advisor has a few buddies over at Microsoft, but you don’t need any help climbing the ladder. You’re happy just hanging out on ground level until you can get yourself up there. We’re overdue for jet packs, anyway.

Avoid Outside Opinions

giphy.com
giphy.com

Forget four-letter words. I think we can all agree four-syllable ones are the worst. Pardon my French for just a moment: Criticism. You can unplug your ears now. Who needs that kind of potentially productive and insightful negativity? Your privacy and your pride are far too precious. Put together your resume and craft those cover letters completely on your own without enlisting the help of a second opinion. They should turn out… well, at least decent.

Don’t Look For Experience

giphy.com
giphy.com

C’mon, you’re a full time student. Of course you don’t have experience yet—that’s why people apply for internships, right? So don’t worry about joining clubs, working part-time jobs or applying for student government roles that might bulk up your resume and set you apart from your fellow novice applicants. You don’t want to come off as some kind of efficient, reliable overachiever that companies would love to have on staff. This is about sticking to the bare minimum, and a complete lack of involvement is just that. Plus, it gives you time to attend to your non-professional endeavors; that Beer Pong Champion record isn’t going to uphold itself.

Stick to these steps and you may not end up with a potentially career-building gig, but you’ll maintain your independence and your free time, and that’s the important thing…right?

Shares20FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Career How to Get an Internship How to Study for a Test Jobs & Internships

About Allison George

Senior at the University of Michigan studying English and Creative Writing with a minor in Law, Justice, and Social Change. Lover of French roast coffee, large bathrooms, and cats. Greatest aspiration is to be adopted by Beyoncé.

You May Also Like

how to use linkedin

7 Ways You Can Use LinkedIn to Score Your Dream Job

boss

The Brightside of Being Judged: Surviving Your Next Performance Review

Top 10 Student Approved On-Campus Jobs at St. John’s University

Top 10 Things To Keep in Mind When Asking for a Reference Letter

Finding Yourself Through Professors and Pandemics 

Painting strokes image

CM Creates: How to Become a Professional Painter

5 Tips for Getting Your Social Media Ready for the Professional World

resume styles

College Magazine’s Guide to Resume Styles for Landing the Job

Community College Professor walks through the halls

Higher Education: Why Teaching Community College Makes the Ideal Career

College Magazine’s Guide to the Engineering Major

Writer

How to Use Your Creative Writing Degree: 10 Tips and Tricks

corporate

7 Insider Tips on How to Climb the Corporate Ladder

career development

How Your College Career Center Can Land You a Job During COVID-19

how to become a software engineer

College Magazine’s Guide to Becoming a Software Engineer

CM Guide Health Science

College Magazine’s Guide to the Health Science Major

Overview of three people at a desk working

Work in the Way? 10 Guilt-Free Reasons To Leave Your Job

10 Office Ethics Commandments That Apply to Daily Life

What Is a Good Credit Score and How Do I Get One of Those?

10 Invaluable Skills You Get from Learning and Working Virtually

future teacher

CM’s Ultimate Guide to the English Education Major

Finance Managers

Become the Next Warren Buffett: CM’s Guide to Portfolio Management

cover letter

The Cover Letter: Your Secret Weapon into the Professional World

peace corps

Top 10 Well-Kept Secrets to Succeeding in the Peace Corps

online portfolio

10 Steps to Building an Impressive Online Portfolio in 2020

Previous Post: « 10 UF Student Organizations Better Than Netflix
Next Post: CM’s Top 10 Schools for Activists »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

68

Top 10 Colleges With the Most Fashionable Students

31

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Broadway
26

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.