A recent survey showed that 70% of companies hire from their own pool of interns when looking for recent college graduates. This is important — if you do not have at least one or two internships before you finish college, you cannot make up for lost time. You lose the opportunity to obtain valuable credentials and build your network.
By enrolling in the Compass service and obtaining internships now, you will have the credentials employers look for and a stronger network of contacts to help you achieve that great first job after college.
We help students by giving them a proven, structured path to internship search success. Instead of randomly searching through online posts, you’ll benefit from a step-by-step series of tutorials, checklists and assessments for each part of the process. We even have FREE resources for you to begin using right away!
When you enroll, you will have access to the best internship opportunities, how to stand out from other applicants and a much better sense of what you need to do now to be successful after college. To begin preparing for internship success, please click here.
1. Start Early
James H., Washington, D.C.
“I wish I had started reaching out earlier to people already in the workforce. Once I started reaching out to people directly, as opposed to just applying to jobs, I received much quicker responses in terms of interviews and learning what other open positions were available.”
2. Network, Network, Network
Kara N., Wilmington, Delaware
“Other people can be a huge help. I was trying to do it on my own and I couldn’t find much. Once I asked others for help, I think it was about a week until I found my current internship. Make sure and use ALL of your network – family, friends, professors, pretty much anyone.”
3. Think Positive
Grace M., Los Angeles, California
“I wish I would’ve known not to be so scared. At first, I was really discouraged, and I didn’t want to do it, but over time I realized that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I would rather fail 100 times than not have tried at all. Feeling like I wasn’t trying and giving up really took a toll on me. I felt stuck and now I don’t.”
4. Don’t Compare
Makayla J., Reynoldsville, Ohio
“If you let it, the search process can be very stressful and competitive. Remember you are searching for your own opportunities. Try not to compare what you are doing to others it can become a toxic topic.”
5. Compass Helps!
Will S., Arlington, Virginia
“I learned more in an hour or two with Compass materials than I did in the part-credit class I was supposed to take in college. There was no pressure, just helpful ways to think about internships and how to find the right ones.”