Internship & Job Search Guide

Internship & Job Search Resources — Places To Look

I. Searching for Postings

II. Soliciting Openings That May Not be Widely Posted

• Strategies for Soliciting Openings
• Soliciting Openings: The Approach — What to Say

Resources for Locating Postings:

• OleRecruiting database

• NACElink database

• General megasites (Monster, HotJobs, etc.)

• City newspaper classifieds online

• Individual company websites or Human Resources office

• "Internships & Jobs by Interest Area" links on CEL website

• Other positions by interest area links (find by searching Yahoo or Google by typing in "Internships or Jobs in ... (interest area)."

• Other colleges' career center websites in that location

• Association/professional organization websites (find by searching for "Association ... (interest area)."

• Staffing agencies (temp agencies, headhunters)

• Alumni (Online Alumni Directory — search by occupational area, city, major), faculty, friends

(back to top)

Resources for Identifying Organizations to Target:

• Alumni (Online Alumni Directory) — -search by occupational area, city, major), faculty, friends

• OleRecruiting (company of interest may be posting a job in a department that is not your interest)

• Directories (MN Nonprofit Directory, for example)

• Yellow pages for that city (also found online)

• Online search (find by searching Yahoo or Google by typing in "(interest area) (city)" or other combinations

• JobBank books on CEL shelves

• Chamber of Commerce in a specific city

• Association/professional organization websites (find by searching for "Association ...

• (interest area)."

(back to top)

• Visit company website to check for openings

• Call the organization and inquire if there are any new or anticipated/upcoming openings

• Mail a cover letter and resume to the director of your department of interest

• Network with alumni, family, friends who might work there

(back to top)

When Networking with an Alum or Other Referral:

(Never start out asking for a internship or job!)

"Hi, my name is ___________. I am a ___(class year)____ at St. Olaf College exploring employment opportunities in the field of ___(occupational area)____, in ___(city)____. I am particularly interested in what your company/organization does, I found your name on the online alumni directory (or it was passed on to me by ___(name)___). I was hoping you might be someone I could talk to about what it's like working for ___(company name)____. Is now a good time to discuss this, or might we set up a time that I could come in and meet with you?

Through the course of the conversation, ask things like:

• What career path led you to this job
• How would you recommend someone break into this field?
• Do you know of any good resources for finding jobs in this field?
• Do you know of any current openings here or at similar organizations?
• Can you refer me to any other organizations or people that I might talk with about working in _____(occupational field)_____?
• Would you mind offering me some feedback on my résumé?

** Be prepared to answer questions about your own experiences, skills, interests and goals, and always follow up with a thank you note!

Please refer to our handout or online link on Informational Interviewing for additional questions and tips.

When Calling a Company or Organization To Inquire

About Internships or Jobs

If you do not have a specific contact name, say to the person who answers:

"I'd like to speak with the director of _____(department of interest)______, please." "Hi, my name is _______. I'm calling to inquire if you currently have any job openings available for ___(position type)___ or if you anticipate any openings in the near future?"

If no,

"Might I mail you a copy of my résumé to keep on file in the event that something should become available?"

(back to top)