Follow these 6 steps to increase chances of getting an internship
Before applying for an internship, there are six steps that an intern should take into consideration. Working in a large pharmaceutical company, we hire interns on a yearly basis. However, finding students who truly fit our projects can be challenging. It’s important to note that the job description you see online is a general overview posted by the human resource department. Behind the scenes, hiring managers are specifically looking for certain skills. Unlike regular full-time positions, internships only last for 3–4 months, so there is limited time for extensive training and integration into the working environment. Therefore, interns need to have specific skills that can be utilized from the start. It’s important for students to recognize their existing skills and showcase them in their resumes. Hiring managers are practical and are looking for individuals who can complete projects within the internship timeframe. With this in mind, here are the six steps an intern should consider before applying for an internship.
Provide details about your projects
Provide detailed information about your projects, including the project titles and the methodologies and software used. For instance, this year, I was seeking a Ph.D. student who had experience with Bayesian statistics, specifically in the context of survival analysis. It was challenging to evaluate candidates as many of them mentioned having Bayesian experience but did not specify the specific methodologies they had worked with. While some may indeed have experience in Bayesian survival analysis, it was difficult for me to discern that from their resumes alone. I may reach out to them, but they would not be my top choice. It would be fortunate for applicants in this situation if they included project details related to survival analysis on their resumes, as it would provide me with more information. Additionally, having these details would help applicants prepare for the interview, as reviewing their resumes would remind them of their accomplishments.
A one-page resume is not important
There is a misconception that a resume should be limited to one page in size, which can be misleading. While it is important to avoid excessive length, including relevant projects, especially when applying for internships, is necessary. In our case, we received around 500 resumes for 10 internship positions this year. Some resumes were 4–5 pages long and accompanied by 3–4 page cover letters. However, we did not review every resume because it was not required. Our primary focus was on finding someone with experience in Bayesian statistics, so I used the keyword ‘Bayesian’ as a filter to identify potential candidates for my project. Ultimately, the length of the resumes did not bother me as long as they had the desired expertise.
Avoid repeating the same things
It is important to provide project details, but it is unnecessary to repeat information in different ways and unnecessarily lengthen the resume and experience. For instance, let’s say there is a Ph.D. student who is also working as a research assistant. Some students might list this job title for each project individually. Even if they work with different professors or projects, they should consolidate this information under the same job title. However, they can still use separate bullet points to highlight each project.
Provide years of experience
In order to stand out, it is not enough for students to simply mention their skills. It is crucial to also highlight the number of years of experience they have. If one individual has one year of experience using R software, while another has ten years, their level of expertise is not equal. By explicitly stating the years of experience, it gives an advantage to the person with more experience. Additionally, it is beneficial to provide specific details on how the software was utilized, such as hands-on experience gained through various projects. This extra level of information adds further value and enhances one’s profile.
Educational background
In the eyes of many students, the only things that seem to matter when showcasing their qualifications are the degree they hold and the timeframe in which they obtained it. However, when it comes to hiring managers, these aspects often fall short, as they are looking for additional information beyond just the degree title and completion date. Keep in mind that I am reviewing your resume because you have already fulfilled the degree requirement. If you fail to provide any further details, you might be wasting valuable space on your resume. It is crucial to elaborate more on your degree by including aspects such as the topic of your Ph.D. thesis, the methodologies you have developed, and the impact of your research.
Take informed decision
Try to understand the job requirements thoroughly when you apply. For instance, if the job is in the statistics department and emphasizes experience in data science and machine learning, focusing mainly on working with large datasets may not be beneficial. Many students overlook this fact in the current era of data science hype. Do statisticians utilize data science and machine learning? Absolutely, but it ultimately depends on the context. For example, if you’re working with oncology patients, you may not have the luxury of a large sample size. Nowadays, most large companies have dedicated data science departments for specific tasks. While there are significant methodological overlaps between pure statistics and data science, their applications differ significantly. In clinical trials, statistical analysis primarily revolves around small sample sizes. Therefore, it’s essential to be practical and consider specific job requirements when applying. It’s unlikely that you’ll be hired in a statistics department if you predominantly showcase enthusiasm for data science.
In summary, do you need to create resumes for every job application in order to avoid being overlooked if the right keywords are not used? The answer is no. Firstly, you cannot be certain of exactly what the hiring manager is specifically seeking. The online job description provides a general overview of the department’s requirements. One effective approach I would recommend is to be your genuine self and showcase your detailed accomplishments, particularly in the form of projects. If these align with the hiring manager’s requirements, you stand a chance of being hired. However, if they don’t, it would be best not to be hired for the wrong reasons. If you were to be fortunate enough to be hired for a role that falls outside of your area of expertise, you will ultimately struggle to perform the job and consequently appear unfavorable and lose motivation. Moreover, this will close off another opportunity where you could have learned and grown. To some extent, this holds true not only for internships but also for regular jobs.
