{"id":8515,"date":"2025-04-15T13:18:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T20:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/?p=8515"},"modified":"2025-04-15T13:19:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T20:19:01","slug":"looking-for-an-internship-heres-how-to-ask-for-help-that-actually-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/2025\/04\/15\/looking-for-an-internship-heres-how-to-ask-for-help-that-actually-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for an Internship? Here\u2019s How to Ask for Help That Actually Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever asked someone in your network to \u201ckeep an eye out\u201d for internship opportunities? It\u2019s a pretty common approach\u2014but it\u2019s often not very effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you’re looking for your next internship, being proactive is key. Reaching out to your network can help you uncover opportunities that aren\u2019t posted online and get noticed by potential employers. But how you ask for help really matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing: most people genuinely want<\/em> to help\u2014but they often don\u2019t know how<\/em>. A vague message like \u201cLet me know if you hear of anything\u201d doesn\u2019t give them much to go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, make it easier for them by being specific. Here\u2019s a structure you can use when reaching out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Friendly Introduction<\/strong>
    Example: \u201cHi [Name], I hope you\u2019re doing well! I recently completed an internship with [Company], and I\u2019m starting to look for my next opportunity for this upcoming [semester\/summer]. I\u2019d love your help if you’re open to it!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Share Specifics About Your Experience<\/strong>
    Example: \u201cDuring my internship, I worked on [brief description of what you did\u2014e.g., software testing, marketing campaigns, engineering design projects]. I\u2019m hoping to build on that experience and continue learning in a hands-on environment.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. List Companies or Industries of Interest<\/strong>
    Example: \u201cI\u2019m especially interested in companies in the [tech\/healthcare\/engineering\/etc.] space, like [Company A, Company B, or Company C].\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Mention Job Titles or Types of Roles You\u2019re Seeking<\/strong>
    Example: \u201cI\u2019m looking for roles like [software development intern, marketing intern, mechanical engineering co-op, etc.].\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Make a Clear, Specific Ask<\/strong>
    Example: \u201cIf you hear of any internship openings or know someone working at a company in this space, I\u2019d really appreciate an introduction or any leads you might have. And of course, I\u2019m happy to return the favor whenever I can!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Being clear about what you’re looking for makes it easier for others to support you\u2014and that can make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And don\u2019t forget: the same approach works when reaching out to recruiters about specific internships. Specificity + friendliness = better results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Have you ever asked someone in your network to \u201ckeep an eye out\u201d for internship opportunities? It\u2019s a pretty common approach\u2014but it\u2019s often not very effective. When you’re looking for your next internship, being proactive is key. Reaching out to your network can help you uncover opportunities that aren\u2019t posted online and get noticed by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[547,549,546],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42181"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8515"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8518,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8515\/revisions\/8518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8515"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=8515"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/student-success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=8515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}