Tips for getting a design internship without losing your mind
Written & Illustrated by Gabriella Jacobsen
1. Relax, you are worth it.
I’m putting this tip first because you will always work better with a little piece of mind. I remember feeling terrible in this hectic time of filling out what felt like 10 million applications a day to compete for the all powerful internship. However, it is important to remember that you are working towards your goal through your studies and extra curricular activities, and that if you don’t get your dream internship – its not because of the work that you do, and that you as an individual are not worth it. Keep your head high, and keep going, your efforts will be rewarded.
2. Know your applications before applying
Some design companies only ask for your portfolio and resume, while other companies will ask you to fill out specific applications. Before you sit down to fill out an application, look through the application to get an idea of how much time applying to the company will take you. A simple application should take you less then 15 minutes but you may open up an application that requires you to write a personalized cover letter, create a 3 page portfolio, or in the strangest case: find a funny YouTube video…. All of a sudden what you thought would be a quick application has sudden become an hour-long endeavor.
3. Research your companies and prioritize
You don’t need to apply to everything, but I do suggest researching and applying to a broad range of companies to have many options to choose from. You may try applying to companies such as: design consultancies, branded companies, design firms based upon the principles of a single designer, design companies that focus on manufacturing, or a machine/ work shop that focuses on prototyping, just to name a few. Identify your ideal work environment. Prioritize those applications first, because it is better to be early and considered for an internship than to miss out on opportunities because your dream company found a good match with an application that was sent in ahead of yours. I suggest applying to 15 to 30 companies per internship period. That may seem like a lot, but remember, you want to give yourself a broad range of options.
4. Create a separate folder on your desktop to find things quickly
You may already organize your projects into separate files, but it can help keep you organized to have a place in your computer specifically for your current portfolio. I suggest moving a copy of all the work that you want to link to an Adobe InDesign document into this folder and then linking the copy in your portfolio. This way the files will remain easily linked and the InDesign document is less likely to get corrupted if you accidentally move the files around. Also, then if you quickly need to assemble a short portfolio or teaser page, all your best material should be in one place.
Chances are you are a full time student, and balancing a part time job on top of your schoolwork. You don’t have a ton of extra time to write internship applications. Set aside time for yourself each week, and have a deadline of when you want all of your internship applications to be complete. Studies show that you are more productive at a task when you set aside adequate time to complete a task rather than trying to complete an application between other tasks or multitasking. When applying for my internships this summer, I would spend an hour before my Monday studio class every week for about 2 months applying to various internships.
6. Add dates to your portfolio and resume
Again, this is to stay organized and to make sure you always send out your most updated edition of your portfolio and resume.
7. Have a modular portfolio and resume
Every company you apply to will be looking for different strengths or skills in your portfolio and resume. You may not want to send a company that focuses on kitchen appliances a portfolio filled with car sketches. Yet, you also don’t want to drive yourself crazy creating 30 different portfolios and resumes. In your portfolio have a designated design language by keeping colors and fonts consistent throughout the document. Prepare each of your projects with a cover/ introduction page so that the reader can easily discern the beginning and end of a project. You can even export PDFs of projects separately and then assemble your full portfolio in Adobe Acrobat with a cover and intro page. Then you can quickly pick and choose which projects you want to assemble in your portfolio and in what order.
Reach out to those around you, post a status on Facebook, or ask a friend or family member to ask around for you. It’s amazing how many more opportunities you may discover by speaking up and expressing your desire for an internship. Never feel to awkward to ask if someone is aware of a company or firm who is looking to hire an intern for the summer, fall, etc. Personal connections are a huge plus. If you have the chance to meet and speak face to face with a company you’d like to work for, take it! This will allow them to put a face on your application. Don’t be afraid to be blunt about how interested you are in working with them; just try not to sound too excited- like a 6 year-old at a unicorn theme birthday party... or maybe that was just me.
9. All experience is good experience
A wise friend once told me, “at this point in your life all experience is good experience.” Whatever you end up doing, remember to keep an open mind to soak up as much experience as you can, and enjoy all your learning experiences!
I have enjoyed writing this blog post, if you found it helpful let me know if there is anything else I could write about!
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