The college years are very crucial to deciding your future. They help you build up upon your passion and skills.

In the very first year, when we have basic subjects to study we can explore in-depth the subjects and understand various phenomena. The year is when you can explore and know different clubs organized in your college where you can have a chance to manage the events and participate in extra co-curricular activities.

When it comes to the internship in the first year then, students should apply for internships not based on core subjects but on the basic subjects and hobbies to know better about their passion. By doing that, we get an idea about the activities held during an internship, how to make a resume, and how to manage studies as well during an internship.

Now, the point is how to apply for an internship and where to apply?

The answer is there are many websites where you can create your profile and write about your skills on it. There are much training offered at various amounts which you can take and learn more on that field. You can now filter your choices and search more on this thing. After doing that, you can see the duration, the payment, and other details and apply for the internship. They will respond within a few days. By that time you should apply for other internships. Always check the details and you will always receive an offer letter and certificate once they hire you. In case of any problem, you can contact or message them.

Try to get knowledge in the first year itself so that it’s better for you to work on your weakness in the upcoming years. Try to balance your studies with all the work.

There are many channels and websites which can guide you. Never feel down if you don’t get selected for that internship. There are many opportunities in front of you, only you have to work hard to reach that.

Kinds of Internships That Even First-Year Students

1. Sales & Marketing:
Loved the movie RocketSingh – Salesman of the year? If you have good communication skills and like to meet and interact with new people, a sales/marketing internship is your ticket to getting a first-hand experience of the business world. It doesn’t hurt that it improves your chances of claiming the title of Sponsorship Head during your college fest. In addition, this is also the best way of honing your soft skills and preparing yourself if you decide to do an MBA later on.

2. Content Writing:
Like writing stories (not just in exams)? Were the Editor of your school magazine or own a blog or a Facebook page? A content writing internship provides you the chance to hone your writing skills and even get paid for it! From Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to infographics, you learn a lot of new skills and are introduced to a diverse range of fields. It can also help you to become the Editor-in-chief of your college magazine or even the media head!

3. Social Media Marketing:
Do you spend so much time on Instagram or Twitter that it feels like your second home now? Is your mind always brewing with ideas for reels? Have you mastered the art of sending memes? Then, a social media internship might be perfect for you! As a social media intern, you get to be creative every day, learn how to write compelling copies, work with marketing teams to promote campaigns, hang out with creative minds from design teams to create videos, run social media campaigns, and follow the news to come up with relatable content. You also get to flaunt that you are paid to do all of this.

4. Graphic Designing:
Love doodling or sketching? Know a bit about Photoshop? Keep comparing different logos or website designs thinking about how you could have made them better? If you think you have a good design sense, there are a plethora of opportunities available for you to explore a dormant passion! Graphic design is a hot career field, and you might even discover a new career possibility.

5. Programming:
Have a knack for coding? Love the world of computers? There are a number of stream independent internships in Web and Mobile App development that you can apply to. You can learn and master a major skill while working in a real-world environment.

6. Human Resources:
Are you a people person? Do your friends count on you for planning a trip or a party? Can you diffuse difficult situations fairly? What if we told you that you can get paid for this through an internship in human resources? Not only that, but you will also learn how to post jobs, conduct interviews, and onboard new members.

7. Teaching:
Are you the godsend friend who can teach the entire syllabus before an exam? Have you ever been nicknamed Rancho because of how good you are at simplifying difficult subjects? Do you often get compliments about how patient you are? These could be signs that you are meant to be a teacher! So why not give it a go through an internship? Since many of these internships require a school-level knowledge of a subject, you can start in the first year itself.

8. Translation:
Does your Netflix watchlist include shows from different parts of the world? Are you fluent in two or more languages? Do you like working with different languages? A translation internship can provide you the opportunity to tap into this side. As a translation intern, your day can consist of translating documents from one language to another, doing voiceovers, and talking to clients in the target language.

Internship Tips for First-Year College Students

Taking Risks

As a first-year student, it is important to begin taking some risks by facing the challenges it takes to land an internship or a job. Reaching out to family, friends, previous teachers, and employers is a logical first step. As a first-year student, you may not know what type of internship you want.

Conducting informational interviews will help you get a better handle on specific careers as well as what employers look for when hiring talented new professionals.

Polishing Up Your Resume and Cover Letter

Working on your resume and​​ cover letter with a career counselor at your college will help you to create professional documents that will make employers take notice. Although as a first-year student you may feel that you have nothing to put on a resume, after speaking to a counselor you may find that you have more things you can put down than you thought. A resume highlights previous and current experiences that provide employers with an outline of your skills and previous accomplishments. This may include high school and college coursework, internships, jobs, community service, co-curricular experiences, and working as a volunteer at a nonprofit organization. Your career counselor can provide help with your resume and cover letter to ensure that your most relevant experiences stand out.

Using Social Media As a Tool

One thing that all college students have as an advantage is their ability to utilize social media to their benefit. Many companies seek students to help them with their social media campaigns since many of their more senior employees are not familiar and don’t know how to use it to the company’s advantage. ​Social media can also be a great way to get your name out there when seeking a summer internship or job.

Creating a Blog or Website

Many students today have their own blog and websites. This is an excellent way to highlight your interests and skills by getting your name out there. Blogs are a good way to work on your writing skills and are a good way to showcase your skills for employers seeking a college student for an internship or entry-level job. For some professionals like photography, journalism, etc., having an online portfolio really gives an employer a good opportunity to learn more about candidates even prior to the first interview. 

Career Exploration

Even though first-year students are often not yet sure of their major, first-year gives them an opportunity to explore and research how specific majors relate to future career options. When conducting this research students can also determine what types of internships others do to get some experience in the field they are looking to pursue.

The Importance of Internships

In today’s job market doing an internship is not just a good idea; it is a must in order to be considered for employment with certain companies. Whether you’re doing community service or volunteer work or something more tangible, by doing these experiences you are showing employers that you have the motivation and initiative to succeed on the job.

Ask Those in the Know

You can also talk to your professors and other students to find out about internships that they know of. Your peers may be able to provide information on internships they have completed or heard about through one of their personal networks. Faculty works with students all the time and often hear back from students on both the good and bad summer internship experiences they had. Some faculty maintain a departmental website that includes information on internships in the field, or they may just keep a list that they share with students in class or in one-on-one appointments.

Looking to the Future

You may decide to continue with your previous summer jobs the summer after your first year in college (and that’s ok too), but it’s important to give yourself some time to try out different experiences in order to decide which ones you would like to pursue when selecting a career following your college graduation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I get work-from-home internships?

Yes, many firms offer work-from-home internships. If you’re browsing internships on Internshala, you can just put in the Work From Home filter and it will show you only the internships that allow working from home. This is especially useful given that we’re living in a pandemic situation when going outside may not be safe for many of us. 

2. How to write a resume for applying for an internship?

Before going to actually write the Resume, you should first make a layout of what and what not you want to display in your resume. List down the projects that you want to mention, any past experiences or internships you have done, your current educational status, etc.
One of the easiest ways to build a resume is by adding everything in your Linkedin profile and building a resume from that.

3. What type of internship is right for me?

The kind of internship that is right for you largely depends on one, your area of interest, and two, the area you’re skilled in. As we discussed in the section on Prerequisites for an internship, you need to be affluent with the work you’re applying for. If it’s web development, that you know and are interested in taking up in the future, that is what you should apply for.