Internship Search Tips

Welcome to the office of Internship & Study Abroad at the

UCLA Career Center!

This guide highlights most of the resources that you would review in person with our internship counselors:  Dario Bravo, Eva Walthers and Chris Howell.

To find out more about our Washington, D.C. Internship Program, the State Department internships, and options after graduation, plan to attend one of the information sessions held each quarter with Dario Bravo, dbravo@career.ucla.edu.

To learn more about internships in Los Angeles, our Summer in the State Capital program, and options in other California cities, please contact Local Programs Counselor Chris Howell at chowell@career.ucla.edu. 

First Step:  Your Resume and Cover Letter

Second Step:  Research the Opportunities

Third Step:  Apply!

Need More Info on Your Industry?  Ask an Alum.

Academic Credit Required?  Consider Independent Study or a “195” Course

For International Students

First Step:  Your Resume and Cover Letter

All internships will require a resume to apply, here’s how to get started.

 

·         Get Examples.  Our office staff can provide a package of model resumes for your reference

·         Get More Examples.  The UCLA Career Library has great resume and cover letter books. 

·         Draft Your Resume.  Take 60 to 90 minutes max to draft your resume.  It is OK to include more information than you need for your finished product. 

·         Get Feedback. You can find good resume advice in a few ways at UCLA. 

o        Share it with a friend who has already interviewed for jobs in your field, their resumes are often tested in the market

o        Attend one of the resume info sessions sponsored by campus clubs or employers

o        Drop in counseling sessions at the Career Center from 10-3 every day

o        Review with local programs counselor at Internship & Study Abroad

o        Send for online counselor critique to Online Resume Critique (https://secure.career.ucla.edu/resume/login.aspx)

·         Edit and Refine.  Most undergrad resumes should be no more than one page

Second Step:  Research the Opportunities

There are over 1,000 internship listings on the BruinView database alone!  Here’s how to find yours.

·         Explore BruinView and Other Search Engines.  BruinView is for companies recruiting UCLA students, but you will find useful listings on several job and internship search sites.  The Internship & Study Abroad office provides a list of other targeted search engines.  

·         Start with a Wide Search.  Companies describe internships in different ways.  For BruinView and most internship sites, a simple search with a set of ‘industry’ keywords gives more results.  See the BruinView tutorial for effective search strategies.

·         Not Sure What You Want?  Start with a Wider Search!  On BruinView and any internship search site, you can just choose ‘Internship+California’ to see all companies targeting your campus.  You’ll look through a lot of jobs, but most websites group new listings at the top of your search results.  So this is a one-time effort to catch up with listings in the market

·         Utilize the Power of Google.  Relevant results can sometimes be found within the first few pages of results, but not always.  The shorter your hit list, the more relevance you can attain—which can be achieved by entering more keywords in your query.  Try out these queries first, then narrow them down by adding keywords if you need more relevance.

o        Your Target Industry + Internship.  Google combinations such as “Publishing Internship” call up industry search engines as well as specific assignments.  Add a city name if you’re focused on a specific market.

o        Google your Major + Internship.  Same as above.  Great for less common majors.

o        Google a Company + Internship.  Many large and mid-sized companies offer internships directly through their web sites; others recruit informally.  This is a great way to find “off the books” internships.  Remember that many companies list just one or two positions on search sites, but keep 10 to 20 others at their own .com address.

o        Filtering out unwanted results.  If you find that your queries retrieve a large number of similarly irrelevant topics, you can modify your search by using “-“ (hyphen) followed by the unwanted word/phrase.  For example, “culinary –school” will retrieve sites that include “culinary” but do not include “school”.  Plenty of other Google search tips are out there, so you should explore ways to make your searches more efficient.

·         Look Beyond the ‘Core Business.’  Banks offer programming internships, aerospace firms want marketing interns, ad agencies need good accountants.  When you see any company recruiting Bruins, check out the “University Relations” of “Internship” link on their website.

·         Make Your Own Career Fair.  The Career Center website at www.career.ucla.edu  features every company that has attended a UCLA Career Fair in recent years.  Check out the link here to view links for previous Internship and Career fairs.  Remember that every website is different ... internships are often not obvious, or they may be called a different name.  Relevant links on these sites include “campus recruiting,” “summer analyst programs,” “university relations” and others. And remember that companies often recruit for business internships outside their core service. If you can’t find the internship link, do a site search for “intern” or “internship.”

·         View Every Listing as an Internship Lead.  If you find your dream job, but it requires a degree and experience, don’t pass by.  Contact the recruiter to ask about internship options. 

·         Take Advantage of Every Advantage.  Many corporate and public service internship programs recruit interns from specific demographic groups or from foreign language communities.  The UCLA Career Library has books that list these programs.  In most cases, these targeted recruitment efforts provide the same salaries, work assignments and job titles.

·         Career Library Internship Guides.  The UCLA Career Library has a range of internship guides, with indexes for specific industries, for international students, for different states, and for first-year students through PhD.

·         Internship & Study Abroad Internship Guides.  The Internship & Study Abroad office at the Career Center has internship guides for fields such as pre-law, pre-med, accounting and other industries.  We are always adding guides for the UCLA Community!

·         Career Library Company Lists.  The Business Journal Book of Lists offers “Top 25” lists of companies for many industries all major California business markets.  Other books such as the Publishers Directory, the Vault Top 50 Consulting Firms, and the Engineering Almanac are great resources to find mid-tier and specialty firms that recruit your major.  These are also very helpful in sourcing jobs outside the LA market.

Third Step:  Apply!

Internship recruiting reps often ask “How can I get more UCLA resumes?”  You are in demand! 

·         Plan to Apply Early.  Believe it or not, many of the top summer internship programs start recruiting in fall of the previous year.  This is especially true of the best paid positions and those listed in commercial internship guides.  High-demand opportunities like the State Department or Rotary International Scholarship require even more time for interviews or security clearance.  Know the deadlines.

·         Plan to Apply First.  Even if a business lists an application deadline, they will often start to interview and hire candidates earlier.  Search your favorite internship sites often and apply as soon as a job appears.

·         When in Doubt, Apply!  Many UCLA students are modest about their abilities, and some decide not to apply if they don’t meet every qualification.  Companies are looking for motivated interns willing to learn – so highlight your strengths and learn three things about each qualification.

·         At UCLA, “Junior” means “Junior Standing.”  Completing 90 units means you have junior standing in the UC system. You will find that many high-level summer internships require applicants to be a Junior or Senior.  If you will have 90 units before the internship begins, you generally meet a company’s class standing requirements.   

·         Always Send a Custom Cover Letter.  A cover letter should highlight your skills, writing ability, knowledge about the position, and knowledge about the company.  Match your skills, experiences, and personal traits to the qualifications.  Mention two or three facts from the company website or a Google news search as your motivations to apply.  And remember that shorter cover letters are favored by employers ... check out the Career Library for examples.

·         Build Your Qualifications.  Use the job description as a prompt for your own learning.  For example, software often appears to be an obstacle, so turn it into a strength.  If a company prefers candidates who know a certain software, find an online tutorial or buy a tutorial CD for $10 to $15.  Showing motivation to learn and knowing three points about any qualification turns a weakness into an advantage.

Need More Info on Your Industry?  Ask an Alum.

The UCLA Career Network links current students to Alumni from every industry.  Make the connection!

·         The UCLA Career Network is a group of Bruin Alumni who have volunteered their time to educate current students and recent graduates on their line of work.  It’s not a job search resource, but alums can tell you about their successful career path and give advice on graduate schools, their previous internships, training opportunities, and breaking into the industry.  Most of these alums list their email addresses. 

·         If you are evaluating a few opportunities, ask a Career Network contact for an opinion.  There are many who share your major and career goals.  In practice, it is helpful to email several contacts for more replies and diverse opinions.

Academic Credit Required?  Consider Independent Study or a “195” Course

·         Employers offering unpaid internships in the entertainment industry, television, journalism and other fields often require that you earn course credit.  Unpaid assignments in government, non-profit, healthcare, legal services and education usually do not.

·         If you receive financial aid and intern away from Los Angeles during fall, winter or spring quarters, earning course credit for your internship is often a requirement to receive your loans and grants.  See the options below for earning course credit.

·         If an employer requires academic credit for your internship, you need to register in the appropriate class within the first two weeks of each quarter.  There are two main options available:

o        The UCLA Center for Community Learning arranges the “195” classes, which give students course credit for their internship.  Generally students report what they are learning to a graduate student advisor, and then write a final paper on their experience.   Students must achieve junior standing (90 units) in order to apply for a 195 course.

o        Students may also arrange an independent study class (the “190” series) through their major or another academic department.  Department requirements vary, and it is best to have an internship lined up with a detailed job description before approaching an academic advisor.  The job description should emphasize learning opportunities.

o        Certain majors offer additional internship class options, such as Communications 185.  Check with a department advisor or the UCLA catalogue to find out all the options.

For International Students

Your language skills and other talents are an asset to many companies, here’s how to leverage them.

·         Searching for Internships.  The index of the 2005 Petersen’s Internship Guide in the Career Library lists many internships that accept international applicants. 

·         Visa Requirements.  Many unpaid internships and volunteer assignments do not require a work permit or a specific visa – exceptions include some government offices.

·         Internships for Course Credit.  Internships for course credit (described above) are often the most realistic option for international students in the United States.  This is the only option if you plan to work in another U.S. city, since you usually must maintain full-time student status. The UCLA Center for Community Learning can help to arrange course credit for internships in Los Angeles

·         Internships in Other Cities. Options include UCLA’s CAPPP program in Washington, D.C. and the UC Center Sacramento program.