Check Out InternQueen.com for New Blog !

Just want to make sure everyone still knows that the new INTERNQUEEN site is at http://www.internqueen.com and my new blog, I AM INTERN, is at http://www.internqueen.com/blog ! Enjoy !

The Intern Queen’s Blog has Moved !

INTERNQUEEN.COM CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH FREE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

 OVER 350 INTERNSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER 2009!

Los Angeles, CA – April 6^th – Lauren Berger, “The Intern Queen”, officially launches her website, http://www.internqueen.com, to help students search and apply for FREE internship listings at over 400 hard-to-reach companies like Marvel, Nascar, MovieLine, Universal Pictures Group, NBC, Seventeen Magazine, etc.  Berger’s internship listings have attracted over 20,000 students from around the world each month.

InternQueen.com, (http://www.internqueen.com), provides students with an internship expert. They no longer need to email their resumes to automated websites. They can reach out and personally ask The Intern Queen their questions and send her their resumes directly. This gives the user a more personal experience. Finding an internship can be a very challenging task, The Intern Queen makes students feel like they have someone on their side.

The site features tons of original content:

·         How to Get an Internship in Entertainment,

http://www.internqueen.com/blog/?p=100

·         Internships Change in Today’s Economy, http://internqueen.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/internships-change-in-todays-economy/

·         High School Internships Increase in Tough Economy, http://www.internqueen.com/blog/?p=86

 The new InternQueen.com also features “Extra Internship Coaching Services” and
“Resume/Cover Letter Makeover Services” for Students. Employers can also post internships with the Intern Queen.

Berger is dubbed “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her four years of college. She travels around the country speaking to students about the importance of internships. “I’m bridging the gap between students and their futures. When I was in school, there was no one to help me get an internship and learn to make the most of it. I can be that person for students,” says Berger. She has appeared on television shows across the nation speaking about internships and is currently running her business out of Los Angeles. Berger’s listings are powered by Quarterlife (http://www.quarterlife.com/intern), Hollywood Producer, Marshall Herskovitz’s site. She is also the current spokesperson for University of Dreams Programs, http://www.summerinternships.com.

 

REVIEWS:

“The Intern Queen is the first place we look to provide our production company with incredible candidates. She always delivers!” – Sony Pictures / Out Of The Blue Entertainment.

“Your personal service gives the applicant a sense of comfort in knowing that there is someone is looking out for them. With other internship sites, you feel as though you’re sending your resume into a sea of others, blindly, almost. The Intern Queen’s way of getting us internships is very unique because it’s kind of like a recommendation.” Simone Porter, Student, Five Towns College.

“Lauren, the Intern Queen, was eager and willing to help me get an
internship in the Entertainment Industry. She was able to forward my
resume to all the right people, and in just a week I was hired as an
intern for one of my dream companies!” – Stephanie Ramos,Student, University of California, Irvine

 

                                                                               

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NEW BLOG SITE

Please change my blog address from this current one to http://www.internqueen.com/blog/ – It will now live on my new site, http://www.internqueen.com !

EmployeeScreenIQ Awarded GSA Contract

The General Services Administration recently announced that it has awarded the GSA Schedule for Human Resources Services to EmployeeScreenIQ.

The contract will allow EmployeeScreenIQ, a global leader in conducting employment background checks, to provide services to government agencies as an authorized vendor. It also will expedite the process of obtaining government contracts.

“In the private sector we’ve been an industry innovator in best practices and compliance, and we think this experience translates well to government agencies,” Jason B. Morris, president and COO of EmployeeScreenIQ, said. “Properly screening employees has never been more important. Why shouldn’t the government have access to the same thorough and effective employment background checks as private industry?”

Flexible Jobs a Focus in Canada

The United States could take a lesson from Canada when it comes to implementing flexible jobs in the push to rehire and grow.

One recent survey found that Canadian employers are planning to add jobs, rehire laid-off workers and provide flexible work arrangements. The only downside is that salaries are expected to remain the same.

A survey of private-sector hiring managers from CareerBuilder found that most employers are willing to accept flexible job arrangements this year. About 43 percent of employers are planning to add either job-sharing, alternate schedules, telecommuting, compressed work weeks or summer hours, while about 72 percent plan to offer flexible work hours.

Houston Teaching Jobs Will Depend on Students’ Scores

Those with Houston teaching jobs will soon have to prove their worth through their students.

The Houston Independent School District recently announced that it would begin evaluating teachers based on how students do on standardized tests. This places the school district among a small but growing number planning to make it easier to layoff bad teachers.

Currently, the school district uses a statistical analysis of student test scores to decide which teachers will receive performance bonuses. Under the new “value-added” plan, that same formula would be used to pinpoint ineffective teachers.

How to Get an Internship: Entertainment

There is no question that my site, http://www.quarterlife.com/intern has a heavy focus on entertainment internships. You will find over 200 different entertainment companies on my site ranging from movie studios, television companies, publicity firms, marketing agencies, on-set movie internships, etc. But what is the secret to landing these job opportunities?

1. DON’T GIVE UP. The entertainment business is hard to get into but it can be done. If your professor or career counselor tells you that you’ve decided on a tough industry, don’t let that hold you back. Focus clearly on what you want.

2. TRY DIFFERENT THINGS. Entertainment is such a broad field and consists of so many different parts and departments. Accept internships/jobs in different areas and test them out – you never know what you might like. In college, I interned in entertainment publicity, radio, on-air promotions, drama development, etc. Interning in all of those different areas helped me figure out what I did want to do and what I didn’t want to do.

3. FIND YOUR FAVES. Just like I mentioned in the sports piece, students should research their favorite movies, producers, directors, even celebrities. Find out what companies these people work for and who they deal with on a regular basis. From your research, start to create your personal “Intern Queen Dream List”.

4. KNOW YOUR RESOURCES ON THE WEB. There are a few great Hollywood Internship resources worth mentioning. This  is where you should be looking for your Internship News:

· INTERN QUEEN’S WEBSITE – http://www.quarterlife.com/intern.

When I first started my site, I used all of my entertainment industry relationships to really build it up. Below are some of the listings that appear on the site:

· Smoke House Pictures (LEATHERHEADS), http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/52

· Thunder Road Pictures, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/72

· HD Films, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/92

· Sony Pictures Television, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/142

· Master Mind Artists Management in Brooklyn, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/152

· State Street Pictures, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/162

· Bang! Zoom Entertainment, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/212

· EntertainmentCareers.net, http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/.

This site is quite the powerhouse when it comes to entertainment opportunities. It’s easy, reliable and it’s been around a while. I highly suggest checking out this site.

5. NON-WEB RESOURCES. There are three other resources that I do suggest students take a look at.

· THE PRINCETON REVIEW’S INTERNSHIP BIBLE. This large reference book was extremely helpful to me when I started my internship search. They update the book yearly and have great information about hundreds of internship opportunities.

· UTA JOB LIST. United Talent Agency puts out an “industry insider” list with all of the current job openings/internship positions in the entertainment world. To find a copy of this – ask everyone you know in Hollywood, professors, friends in the industry, etc. It can be tricky to get your hands on.

· HOLLYWOOD CREATIVE DIRECTORY. This reference book has every Hollywood Production company and television show listed. You can find the company phone numbers, emails, etc. Check out your local bookstore to see if they carry it and if they don’t they can probably order it for you.

6. CREATE YOUR DREAM LIST. Make your version of the “Intern Queen Dream List” by writing down 10 companies where you see yourself working in the future (think big). Next to those, write 10 smaller companies that are similar to your first 10 choices. Start researching and making notes of the company phone numbers and emails. Reach out to the companies and ask the internship coordinator what the internship application process is like.

7. KEEP MATERIALS TRADITIONAL. The entertainment companies get hundreds of internship resumes and cover letters each year. Keep everything in traditional formats unless specifically instructed to submit a “creative resume”. The internship coordinator is going to look right to your experience. They want to see that you’ve held internships before and that you are properly qualified. Market yourself well in your cover letter, use your cover letter as your bragging rights and clearly highlight your talents/experience. Make sure to avoid going on tangents in your cover letter.

8. BE PREPRARED TO START AT THE BOTTOM. If any industry is known for sort of “hazing” their interns, it’s the entertainment business. You must keep telling yourself that this is the nature of the showbiz. Most people started at the bottom as an intern or in the mailroom somewhere and they worked their way up. They make sure that other students have to do the same. You might have to do things like get coffee, copy scripts, pick up dry cleaning – focus on the end result which is a great company name on your resume and wonderful contacts to help you find your next internship or job.

9. KEEP IT ON THE “DL”. Most internships will have students sign a non-disclosure agreement which states that you cannot talk about the projects they are working on to anyone. Even if you don’t sign one of these make sure you keep your work information to yourself. If a celebrity comes into the building, don’t tell all of your friends about it – you never know WHY the celeb was at your company. They could have been making a deal that can’t be spoken about yet.  Keep the “Everyone knows Everyone” philosophy in mind. You never know who someone might tell.

I asked my friends on Twitter what they thought about Entertainment Internships:

searchguru@InternQueen take a look at http://www.showbizjobs.com20

graenewyork@InternQueen if only I were in LA

brieWR@internqueen I hear that http://mandy.com is a good website for all things film-related. Lots of volunteer and internship positions.39 minutes ago from web

SiriusXMInterns@InternQueen students should definitely network. A lot of times, WHO you know can really be helpful in scoring a media internship.

How to Get an Internship: Sports

 

This is a topic that’s relatively close to me because my younger brother is a huge sports fan and has participated in several sports internships (he is quite the Intern King). Whether it’s golf, tennis, baseball, football, basketball, sports medicine, sports management, sports marketing, or becoming a sports agent that you are into, sports is definitely a great world to become part of but also a hard egg to crack. I compiled some information to assist students in finding the sports internship of their dreams.

I asked my younger brother who is actively working/interning in the Sports Industry his thoughts on Sports Internships, “Right now with the economy where it is, the sports industry is looking for inexpensive help. With ticket prices and sponsorship slowly declining they are looking for innovative ways to get the sport to the fan for cheaper while still creating a profit. It’s the perfect time for interns to help out and get a beneficial learning experience.”

1.       RESEARCH YOUR FAVORITES. Get on the internet and start conducting some research on your favorite players, coaches, analysts, agents and read about how they got started. Make notes on companies that they worked for, lessons they learned along the way, their personal suggestions.

2.       REACH OUT LOCALLY. In most businesses you are required to work your way up from the bottom and sports is no exception. I suggest calling your local teams and finding out if they have any part-time job openings or internship openings during the school year or the summer. This is something that you should do as early as possible – even while in high school if possible. I’m from Tampa, Florida so my younger brother contacted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now the Rays), the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm (arena football), and the Clearwater Phillies (our minor league team).

3.       DON’T BE PICKY. You want to get a foot in the door so if you get a call to be the towel guy in your local baseball team’s clubhouse, take the position. It’s all about forming great relationships with the players, coaches, managers, operations staff, etc. You never know when these relationships will come in handy. My brother, Jonathan, started interning at the local Clearwater Phillies stadium just helping out and doing operational tasks. It wasn’t what he wanted to do but it was in the sports industry and it helped him build his contacts.

4.        TIME TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK. When sports students create their version of the “Intern Queen’s Dream List” they have some heavy research ahead of them. Because baseball is done on a seasonal basis and not by semester it requires some looking into very far ahead of time. Most baseball teams run internship programs during Spring Training or during the regular season. Many teams have programs where the students housing and expenses are covered for the entire season. Because of college credit reasons, many students cannot participate in these programs until they are juniors or seniors. Also note that sports interns often have to work more hours than interns in other companies. Your “Intern Queen’s Dream List” should have 10 dream companies nationally that you’d like to work for (teams, organizations, companies, etc) and 10 smaller-scale sports businesses. You need to write the contact phone number for each of these companies.

5.       GET ALL OF THE INFO. When you reach out to these companies you will call and ask to speak with the internship coordinator. You can also check out the company website. Make sure you get all of the information (application deadline, location, housing situation, hour requirements, salary if any, etc.)

6.       ATTEND SPORTS CONFERENCES. The sports business has several conventions throughout the year that are great for meeting the right people and networking. Check out any sporting events that are going on in your city or nearest metro area. Call the convention and ask if they have student prices. If they don’t – perhaps you can cover the event for your school newspaper and get a press pass. Just being at these conferences/conventions makes you look like an ambitious, enthusiastic individual.

7.       LOOK BEYOND THE TEAM. Yes, it’s many student’s dream to work for a sports team but sometimes that doesn’t work out. Have a Plan B and look for other options in your area. When my brother couldn’t work for a professional sports team at his school (University of Central Florida) he explored the city’s other sports companies. He found that the Golf Channel and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) were right in the area. He ended up taking a Spring internship at AAU Sports and got to attend tons of sporting events and got the experience of helping put them together. Jonathan also did some research and came across the Orlando Sports Commission Internships, he participated in that one as well. By participating in all of these different types of internships he was able to learn all aspects of the sports industry.

8.       DON’T GIVE UP. If your internship in sports doesn’t work out, make sure you don’t give up hope. If you have your dream list in front of you – you should have at least 20 companies locally and nationally that you could apply to intern with. If one opportunity doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be at that time, go onto the next. Jonathan (my brother) was super excited this past year to have an internship for the Spring of 09 with the Arena Football Team in Orlando. Well, it turns out that Arena Football got cancelled for this season. Did Jonathan give up ? Nope. He looked back at his dream list, and looked at other possibilities for sports-related internships in Orlando. He had reached out to the Orlando Sentinel (the major Orlando newspaper) and asked if they had sports internships available. They didn’t have any internships available but what they did have was PAID freelance writing positions for the sports department. Jonathan is now a PAID Sports writer for the Sentinel. That just goes to show what a positive outlook can do for you.

 

RESOURCES

1.       Intern Queen’s Website (http://www.quarterlife.com/intern)

Some of the sports internships available include:

 

·         Autograph-Cards.com in New Jersey

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2652

 

·         Volleyball Event Intern in Orlando

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2352

 

·         AAU International Marketplace Internship in Orlando

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2312

 

·         CBS News/Sports

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2112

·         Portland Sea Dogs Baseball Internship

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2672

 

·         Vermont Lake Monsters Baseball Internship

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2632

 

·         Inside Sports and Entertainment Group

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2042

 

·         Time Inc. (Sports Illustrated)

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/1152

 

·         Jersey Rockhoppers Internship Hockey

http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/2972

 

2.       Work In Sports – http://www.workinsports.com/sports-jobs.asp.

This page does require a small membership fee but it’s worth it and you can use the site for one month at a very tiny price. This site always has new jobs/internships listed and the employer contact is right there for you. I encourage students to save these contacts for future use as well.

 

3.       Sports Agent Blog – http://www.sportsagentblog.com/internships/ – This site is quick and easy to use for students. All of the top agencies and sports companies are listed right in front of you with some great advice, news, and alternative information. I know the owner of this site personally and it really is amazing.

 

4.       Jobs In Sports – http://www.jobsinsports.com/?source=OverturePPC&OVRAW=sports%20internships&OVKEY=sports%20internship&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=1110978521&OVKWID=8457458021

Another cool sports website with top of the line company listings and internship/job postings.

 

I asked my friends on Twitter to talk with me about Sports Internships:

davidlpatrick@InternQueen www.leagueconnection.ning.com

susielin@InternQueen SportShooter.com sometimes have postings for internship positions and job openings.

blueyeproject@InternQueen not sure if ur into sports spshp but IEG and other Sports Sponsorship/Marketing Agencies (google them) may connect w/spts tms.

JoelFryComedy@InternQueen Dunk on LeBron. That’ll make you stand out.

 

 

 

 

How To Get An Internship: Fashion

With the success of shows like RUNNING IN HEELS, (http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/09/11/nina-garcia-is-running-in-heels/), and the constant obsession with everything fashion oriented – fashion internships have become more and more popular. The fashion industry is going through a rough time BUT the internships haven’t stopped – in fact, the amount of internships in the fashion girl continues to increase each day. Resumes from fashion-savvy students come across my desk each day. This  blog entry is dedicated to those students – trying to find the best of the best in the fashion world. Best of luck to you all and I’d love to hear your comments !

 

1.       IDENTIFY WHAT YOU LIKE. Identify the area(s) within the fashion world that you would like to work. The fashion world involves many different departments, businesses, processes. Are you into fashion publicity, event planning, manufacturing, designing, styling, photography, casting, buying, etc ? Try to narrow your selection down to two or three different parts of the fashion business.

 

2.       THINK BIG AND BROAD. A foot in the door is a foot in the door. Don’t be too picky when it comes down to selecting what aspect of the business you’d like to start interning within. Learning all aspects of the fashion business will make you a more well-rounded student of that industry. Students with little to no prior internship experience should think even broader about what part of the field they will try to get into. Be open to everything.

 

Note: I wanted to intern in the entertainment business when I was a junior in college. I interned in publicity, on-air promotions, drama development, and even radio to get a taste of each area of the business. From those experiences I was able to decide what I did want to do and what I didn’t want to do.

 

3.       LIST YOUR RESOURCES. It’s time to get organized and make a plan. List all of the different book, websites, and people that you can research and contact to get knowledgeable about the fashion world. Think about any individuals you may know, your family may know, your friend know that work in fashion. Find out there email and first/last name and add them to your list. Ask your professors and classmates if they know of any great resources to find fashion internships. Here are some suggestions for you fashion resource list:

 

·         Intern Queen’s Pages: http://www.quarterlife.com/intern

 

Note: Some cool opportunities to check out include

Essence Magazine Internship in New York, http://quarterlife.com/internship/details/3052,

 

The Buzz Girls Public Relations Internship in Los Angeles, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2912

 

Little Society Clothing Company Internship in Los Angeles, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2502

 

Ports 1961 Luxury Fashion Internship in New York, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2822

Kiva 150, LLC in Atlanta,

http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2402

 

Interview Magazine Fashion Internship in NYC, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2242

 

Headquarters Public Relations in NYC, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/2082

 

BOP/Tiger Beat Magazine Internship in Los  Angeles, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/1892

 

Seventeen Magazine Internship in New York, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/1872

 

EcoStilleto.com Internship in Los Angeles or Virtual, http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/1472

 

Brides Magazine in New York,

http://www.quarterlife.com/internship/details/1252

 

Plus many more on the website !

 

·         FashionCareers.com (WWD) – http://fashioncareers.com/ – Who better to get job advice from than the makers of WWD magazine ? This site offers internship opportunities and postings for the world’s leading design houses.

 

·         FREEFASHIONINTERNSHIPS.COM – http://freefashioninternships.com/. The site “About Page” starts off, “FreeFashionInternships was created in March 2007 after the founder, Carla Carstens, decided that fashion internship listings should be available for everyone, not just for those who were willing to pay the membership fee most websites required. FreeFashionInternships features internships from all aspects of the industry; from design, print, production, and editorial to marketing, finance, and wholesale merchandising. With listings ranging from couture, action sports, magazines and public relations, as well as a section dedicated to relaying advice and tips to potential interns, FreeFashionInternships is the number one source for fashion internships.”

 

·         UNIVERSITY OF DREAMS FASHION INTERNSHIPS – If you’d like to sign up for an all-inclusive fashion internship experience U of Dreams might be the way to go. They offer amazing internships with companies like Free People, Dolce and Gabbana, Betsey Johnson, etc. http://www.summerinternships.com/fashion-internships/.

 

·         DailyFashionJobs.com – http://dailyfashionjobs.com/index.php/category/fashion-internships/ – This is a newsy blog-style job board that talks about openings in the fashion world and industry news in cities all over the country.

 

·         Global Experiences – http://www.globalexperiences.com/fashion/ – This program offers students the opportunity to go abroad and work at fashion companies in Italy and other countries. I don’t personally know anyone who has participated in this program but it does look interesting.

 

 

4.       COME UP WITH YOUR DREAM LIST. I always talk about “The Intern Queen’s Dream List”. This applies to every industry. Now that you have started your research and looked through your resources build you list of ten companies where you see yourself working in the future. Come up with another 10 companies for your list that are similar to your dream companies but exist on a smaller scale. Look into fashion companies that are start-ups but have received some great press. Your list should contain a good mix of large well-known companies and smaller niche brands. While going through the websites listed above, add any interesting companies and internship application information to your dream list.

 

5.       IDENTIFY YOUR PERSONAL TASTE. Fashion is all about expressing your personal style. It’s a bonus when the company you intern for is also a company that you are passionate about. Look in your closet, research some of the brands you wear daily and try to find out their corporate phone numbers. If you are a big fan of Target or Nordstrom, check out their websites and make note of their corporate numbers as well.

 

6.       FIND YOUR CONTACTS. Create a brand new Excel File on your computer for your dream list. Next to the name of each of your 20 companies you need to research the company phone number and location of their corporate office (you want to know where you are calling). Keep this information saved – you never know when contacts will be useful in the future. You will need to call each company and ask to speak with the internship coordinator. Tell that person who you are and that you would like to apply for their internship program and ask what the best way to do that is. Make note of their response.

 

7.       MAKE YOUR SKILLS KNOWN. Fashion student’s have often taken very specific classes in school that define what level they are at skill-wise. Make sure to mention these classes and special training that you have in your cover letter. If you don’t have too much experience on your resume feel free to create a section called “Fashion-Related Coursework” and list the specific names of your relevant fashion classes. If you have sample sketches, clothing, etc include a note at the bottom of the resume that reads “ * References and  Portfolio Materials Available Upon Request.”

 

8.       IT’S TIME TO REACH OUT.  Make another column in your Excel file labeled “Status”. You will enter the dates that you email or snail mail your materials to each company. I suggest mailing everything at the same time to help keep track of your timeframe. If a company will accept resumes via email – great, go for it.

               

 

I asked my friends on Twitter what they thought about Internships in the Fashion World:

 

romanxcandle@internqueen advice? don’t do it. miserable. totally miserable. That’s why I switched my major to graphic design.

 

sabrinareid@InternQueen When you get a response on tips for fashion jobs/internships…please tell us!

 

Advice For International Students Seeking Internships in the United States

I’m constantly amazed by the amount of International students that find my site and are applying for my internships on http://www.quarterlife.com/intern. Students in France, London, Ireland, Austria, Japan, Canada and Germany are some of the most frequent visitors to my webpages. I read tons and tons of cover letters and resumes displaying ambition and desire to come to the United States and work in the Journalism, Fashion, Publicity, and Entertainment industries. It is interesting that in a time like this we have such strong interest from students abroad to come to the United States and intern – but the numbers are there and increasing daily.

I held 15 internships when I was in college and through all of those internships, I only knew one student (a close friend) that had come from another country, Canada, to intern in New York City. Alyson Campbell (@alyamp3) and I met at NYU where we were both staying for internships during the summer of 2003. Aly was interning at Arista Records at the time (a hard-to-get internship in the music industry). Aly did tell me about the challenge of getting a VISA and coming to the US to intern – but she had a “go getter/can-do” attitude about it and she got it done. Aly loved New York so much that she ended up moving back after graduating college. She now runs a super successful start-up PR Firm called, AMP3 (http://amp3pr.com/). We continue to be close friends. If Aly can do it – you can all do it. So get out there and do what you need to do to come to the United States and intern. I asked Aly to explain what she went through and to get her advice for other students:

“As a Canadian, interning in the United States was a valuable and life-changing experience for me, because of the industry I was pursuing (music/entertainment business). Finding an internship was no easy feat, though.  I applied to numerous opportunities, but ran into many situations where it required that I was working for college credit (at a US-based college only) or several organizations that simply weren’t willing to go through the time and effort of the due-diligence involved in hiring an international student under the proper regulations.  A word to the wise, if you’re a Canadian student looking to intern in the U.S., you’ll need either a B-1 Visa or a J-1 Visa (both of which can be attained as long as you have a legitimate job offer and you apply at least 6-8 weeks in advance).  The J-1 “trainee” visa is also a great option for recent grads who are open to taking on an internship (verses an entry-level position), as it is a relatively easy work visa to secure, as long as you are within 18 months of when you graduated.  My first internship was between my 3^rd and 4^th year of university, and looking back, I wish I had been doing internships all along like my girl, The Intern Queen!  My first internship at Arista Records in New York City was truly a life-changing and career-changing opportunity that I will never forget!” 

 

 

TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SEEKING INTERNSHIPS IN THE US

 

 

 

1.       GET THE INTERNSHIP. Companies will look at your resume even though you live out of the country. Send your materials in like any other student and be sure to include when you plan on coming to the US in your Cover Letter. Find out if your school can provide you with any type of internship credit or recognition. Many companies will wave their “credit only” policy if they see that you are an International student. Apply for as many internships as you can. I normally suggest that US students apply for 10-15 opportunities each semester. As an International Student, I would double that number. Make sure you are aware of the VISA process and what you will need to do to get to the US before getting on the phone with an internship coordinator for an interview. You want to be knowledgeable about the process you have ahead of you. Most internship coordinators will NOT know how to help you get to the United States. You will have to take the lead on this one.

2.       FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF VISA YOU NEED. The number one problem I hear about from International students is getting the proper VISA to visit the United States. The best resource I found for this was on the US DEPARTMENT OF STATE Website, http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html. You can search by your specific country and find out what type of VISA you need. Each country has different specifications.

3.       GET YOUR PASSPORT ASAP. Students will definitely need Passports to travel internationally. This is something that can be done quickly but keep in mind it does take 2-4 weeks to get your Passport back. Do this as soon as you decide you will be traveling abroad.

4.       START THE PROCESS EARLY. Getting an International student VISA is a headache in itself. There are so many different forms to fill out and all kinds of documents that need to be prepared. Make a checklist of all of these documents to make the process run as smooth and organized as possible. Examples of documents you may need include: school transcript, any standardized testing scores, bank statements from your parents (proving that they can cover your expenses while in the US), etc. Each student will also need to contact  the local Embassy about setting up an interview. Everyone must set an interview before their VISA can be fully processed.

5.       120 DAY NOTIFICATION. International student VISAS will not be approved or denied until 120 days (or less) before your internship start date. This does cause a bit of a time crunch. Be prepared  for this and make sure to determine when that 120 day mark will be.

6.       KEEP YOUR TIMEFRAME ORGANIZED. The National Homeland Security allows International students to come into the United States only 30 days (or less) prior to the start date of the internship. When you make your travel plans keep this timeframe in mind. If this is a problem, there are several additional “special” permits students can apply for on the US Department of State Website.

7.       HAVE PATIENCE. We all know that this can be a long and drawn out process. Be as patient as you can, use your checklist, and stay calm. Be as respectful as possible to everyone you speak with at the Embassy. Speak with your professors and make sure you are doing everything in your power to help execute the process.

8.       BE FRANK WITH YOUR INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR. Make sure that your internship coordinator understands where you are traveling from and the entire process. You want to come across organized and make sure you sound confident in the process. You want your internship coordinator to feel like they can totally rely on you to be present at your start date. If they feel that you aren’t confident, they might start to feel the same way and get someone else to replace you. Stay in communication with them and let them know that you have everything under control.

9.       MINIMIZE THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE GAP. There are going to be many challenges when interning in the US. You are dealing with a new language (sometimes), new ways of doing business, and new ways of communicating. Practice your English as frequently as possible and try to read newspaper articles, web articles, magazines, trade publications about the industry you are interning within. It’s important to try and understand the nature of the field you are going into. Conducting research will also help you identify commonly used terms in that field. You want to make the language/culture barrier as minimal as possible.

10.   BE CONFIDENT. Students come to the US everyday to Intern. This can be done. Know that it will work out, know that you will get the paperwork done, and know that you are the ULTIMATE INTERN and that any US company would be LUCKY to have you. A few obstacles never hurt anyone J Good luck !

 

I asked my friends on Twitter what they thought about International Internships:

Why have the number of International students coming to the US to intern increased ?

jjaime@InternQueen It gives a broader experience, a look at new industries and finally the contacts they make.

hanztarore@InternQueen Cause US is a high standard that they use to increase bargain pwr Many still want to work there despite current crisis there.

DisneyEC@InternQueen Because the US is the LAND of OPPORTUNITY and people all over the world realize it, even when we forget at times.

AlyAMP3@InternQueen to answer your other Q about why international students come to the U.S., “It’s all about the American Dream”

katrynad@InternQueen The opportunities in film industry. There is just not the same amount of opportunity here, there never has been.

Kissandtell@InternQueen for me it offered greater opportunities.

internSHARE@InternQueen from what I’ve heard with internSHARE it has a lot to with opening the door for future employment and eventually moving there.

ericleebow@InternQueen it’s because they are not offered the same exact opportunities, and it gives them a reason to travel to the US. Why not?

nateerickson@InternQueen No clue. Do they want Americans overseas or would they rather hire their own?

rosettathurman@InternQueen well, according to all the political pundits, the whole world is having an Obama lovefest, so that may be a factor.

Jmal18@InternQueen awesome esl programs

rjjago@InternQueen The US govn’t. is opening up new internship programs like the W.E.S.T. program for Koreans.

What do you think about International Internships ?

juezou@InternQueen I want to know the answer too since I’m an international student here.

USCherie@InternQueen visa issues aside, why not? Esp for companies interested in global business and the interns have what it takes.

jaime@InternQueen Being international it’s been difficult looking for internships, even if you’re studying in the US.

ambranykol@InternQueen as a former Campus Recruiter I’d say that Int’l students will have better bets going after internships at software companies.

Helpful Links/Resources:

US Dept. of State: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html#apply

University of Dreams Programs: http://www.summerinternships.com

InternationalStudent.com: http://www.internationalstudent.com/study_usa/

USA-Internships.com: http://www.usa-internships.com/

Macquil.com : http://www.macquil.com/articles/internships.php

Experience.com: http://www.experience.com/alumnus/article?channel_id=internships&source_page=additional_articles&article_id=article_1126286322658