How to Find Local Internships and other Oppurtunities

Know What Opportunities You Are Searching For

There are a variety of different kinds of opportunities you could be searching for besides internships, such as professional development programs and residential summer programs. Refer to the definitions blog post to know what some of those things are. You won’t know what is out there until you do your research, but you also can’t fully do your research if you don’t know what to look for. Expand your scope!

Start Early

Depending on what you are applying for, the due date for the internship can be 4+ months before the internship begins, especially for things that are competitive or nationwide in scope. You need to be thinking about what you are going to do in the spring in the early-mid fall. You need to be thinking about what you’re doing in the summer in the winter-early spring. For example, the deadline for PPIA-JSI is on November 1st while the program is in the summer!! 

Network

You MUST put yourself out there. Going to class and going home (or maybe a part-time job) is not going to get you access to the wider opportunities that you need to really excel in college. You need to know people in order to find opportunities, and people need to know you. I cannot emphasize this enough. There is no secret sauce. Literally, just go outside. Even the most mild, brief interaction with a classmate can lead to a job opportunity if you open your mouth and speak.

Join pre-professional organizations on campus to meet people who are interested in the same field and on the same career path. Many local opportunities aren't “Googleable”, so you actually have to talk to your peers that are in your city and in your college. Local law firms and other job places might not have pages for their internships, and it’s more of a word-of-mouth thing.

Be a Stalker

Add the people you meet in class, in your organizations, and at events on LinkedIn. See where they have previously interned, if they have done any professional development programs, residential summer programs, and what organizations on campus they’re a part of, etc. These are all blueprints/templates of what is possible for you, especially as a freshman.

When you see opportunities that pique your interest, do as much research on them as you possibly can. If it’s something more obscure that you can’t find details about online, then it’s time to slide into that person’s DMs, message them on LinkedIn, or even ask a mutual friend to make an introduction. This is your opportunity to ask them about their experience in the program, ask for tips, feedback/support through the application process, or even a reference. 

Here is the key: Highly accomplished people like to help those who aren’t wasting their time. Before you come to them, be able to articulate a clear goal that you’re working toward. You also want to have a clear request regarding what exactly you want from them.. For example, "I am interested in applying for this fellowship that I see you are an alumni of. Would you mind sharing your experience with me?" Set up a call or meet on campus. Ask them for feedback on your essays or for them to put a word in for you. 

Research

Take some time to do a deep search for any and every opportunity related to your field that you can possibly find. Search narrow (example: "legal internships in Orlando, Florida") and wide (example: "pre-law programs," "pre-law summer programs," "pre-law fellowship," "pre-law conference," etc.). A local or remote internship might be something that you can do during the school year or during a future semester. A program that is statewide or national in scale might be something you do over the summer.

The point is that you are creating your own extensive database on every single opportunity you can find that is even remotely related to your interests. It’s okay—actually, preferred—that you have way more opportunities on your list than you can actually apply for. So, keep track of anything you come across. Build your list over time, as you meet new people and add them on LinkedIn, and as you search through databases and lists that already exist. While creating these lists, keep track of deadlines and add deadlines to your calendar.

It can be overwhelming to be CONSTANTLY searching for internships, especially when you are actively working at one or balancing other things. This is why I recommend dedicating a few hours a semester to do mass research and build a database. If you already have your big list, then as time goes on you can focus on applying for things that you already planned to apply to instead of trying to find opportunities as they come.

Be Ambitious

Don’t be intimidated by any big names or big opportunities. Apply for literally everything. Don’t close your own doors by thinking that you can’t do something or that it’s too big and fancy for you. Let them be the ones to say no! Don’t block your own blessings because imposter syndrome tells you something is too hard. You are probably more qualified than you think.

Don’t Be Lazy!!

You MUST be willing to do the work necessary to apply for various programs. Some of them require recording videos of yourself speaking and answering a question, or writing essays that range anywhere between 250-800 words. These tasks weed out the lazy people who want things handed to them. Don’t ever not apply to something because it seems like too much work. Nothing good comes easily. Eventually, when you apply for 10+ opportunities, you will have a personal arsenal of cover letters and personal statements that will make writing in the future a breeze! Truth be told, I still pull excerpts from my college application essay when I write different personal statements (yes, it was that good). Once you write a lot, the writing becomes easier… eventually, you aren’t actually going to be writing every single cover letter, essay or personal statement from scratch. 

Stay Encouraged

Unless you get a personal hook up, securing your first internship can be a hustle… especially if you live in a “competitive” city with a lot of high achieving students in your field (Example: Political Science and Pre-Law students in Washington D.C). Don’t be discouraged by the things you don’t get. What’s for you is for you, you just have to keep trying! There is no “one” opportunity that will make or break your future.