5 Tips to Land Your Dream Internship

You don’t know what is going to give the experience you need for a job, or what is going to stand out to a potential employer.

Retail Banking intern Lwel Htoo worked at the University of Utah as a diversity ambassador for the Office of Student Inclusion.

“My internship connects to the research and problem-solving aspect of the work I did as a diversity ambassador. I’m now working on a lot of independent work and helping problem solve,” Htoo said. 

Soft skills like research and interpersonal relations can sometimes stand out more to employers than direct work in your field.

All jobs can give vital experience. Technology Strategy and Governance intern Sydney Photiadis, a recent grad from Weber State University, has worked jobs in five different fields.“

It was a mix of figuring out what I wanted to do and getting experience,” Photiadis said. “Every job you have can teach you, particularly ‘soft skills.’ At the end of the day, hard skills can be taught. Soft skills are developed.”

Job experience comes in all forms. Knowing what career you want to pursue, learning how to work in a team, or simply knowing how to endure a long shift are all good experiences and skills to have.

Sh’ton Pickering, a rising junior at Morgan State University, already had a few other internships before starting her internship at Zions Bank.

“In those jobs, I wanted to know more about what it is to be an entrepreneur. In general, I’m looking to see what I can learn from my bosses — like what they do on the day to day,” Pickering said.

Pickering’s major is in finance, but in her current role she assists with special projects for President and CEO Scott Anderson. She wasn’t originally planning on taking a position at Zions Bank, but when the offer came to her, she seized the moment.

Being open to offers or positions outside of your initial plans can help you get hired.

Apply for several internships. It’s quite simply the most sure-fire way to get an internship. The more places you apply, the higher your chances of success.

Don’t only apply for internships, though. You should also apply for part-time jobs and scholarships and look for other resources to assist you with the process.

Abdulrahman Abed was feeling discouraged after applying to many different places and hearing nothing back. A senior at the University of Utah, Abed mentioned how he applied for a refugee scholarship, having moved to the United States in 2008 as a refugee. By working with the scholarship administrators, he found the internship with the Banking Transformation team at Zions Bancorporation, assisting with the replacement of core bank processing systems.

Use connections you’ve made. Most professionals are super willing to help you out or put you in contact with someone who can.

Peyton Graham, a junior at Utah State University, was able to find his internship because he asked a relative for the contact information of their previous coworker who works at Zions Bank. Graham sent an email and was able to connect with his current boss. Graham sent in his resume, was interviewed, and is now an intern in the Risk Management department.

Pickering mentioned how her professors have been good resources for her throughout college.

“Create relationships with professors because they are a great resource pool for college students. They often know about upcoming jobs and internships,” she said.