How to
Obtain an Internship:
When should
the internship search begin? When should the student contact a prospective
employer?
There are
no set rules regarding either of these questions, and a lot of it, to be honest,
just comes down to plain luck—what position is open at a company at a given
time. But suffice to say it is never too early to begin the internship search.
The student
should begin research early on to see what kinds of companies and positions are
available and begin to formulate in his or her mind what might be of interest.
Notes should be taken. Even if the student begins the search long in advance
the student’s records of companies and positions of interest could be used when
the student is actually ready to begin the internship search. Even if these
companies have not advertised at that particular time it cannot hurt to contact
them. As far as when to send a cover letter and resume to a prospective
employer, see below. Following is a general plan on how the Manhattanville
college student should obtain an internship:
1.
Student looks for and finds a company to work at. For help, the student may:
a.
go to
the Center for Career Development (CCD) for leads and resources about prospective employers
and visit their web site::
http://www.mville.edu/OfficesandServices/CenterforCareerDevelopment/Default.aspx
b.
check
company Web sites and apply directly
c.
check
Internship and employer Web sites such as:
i.
www.entertainmentcareers.net
ii.
www.indeed.com
iii.
www.careerbuilder.com
iv.
www.craigslist.com
v.
www.monstertrak.com (school code – mville.ocs)
vi.
www.idealist.org
vii.
www.nywici.org
viii.
www.nyfa.org
ix.
www.bookjobs.com
x.
www.cencom.org
xi.
www.tvjobs.com
xii.
www.mandy.com
xiii.
www.internjobs.com
xiv.
www.wetfeet.com
xv.
www.internships.com (school code – valiants)
d.
Use
http://mville.erecruiting.com, a new initiative of the
the Center for Career Development, an online
program in which the student enters his or her profile, employers enter
internship opportunities, and matches are recommended.
e.
Ask
instructor for recommendations.
f.
Ask other
students who have already interned for recommendations.
2.
Student obtains approval for the company from the instructor.
3.
Student prepares a resume and cover letter.
a.
For help
with this process, the student should schedule an appointment with the Center
for Career Development. The CCD has two extremely helpful resources:
Resume and Cover Letter Writing Techniques and Interviewing Skills
(both available online).
b.
The student
should try to have a draft of a cover letter and resume written when he or she
goes to the Center for Career Development, where a counselor will sit with the student and offer
suggestions for improvement. The CCD also has workshops on honing
interviewing skills, which the student should try to attend.
4.
Student sends cover letter and resume to prospective employers.
a.
There is no
formal protocol as to how far in advance these materials may be sent.
b.
Letters may
be sent a few months in advance or, if need be, right up to the point that the
internship will begin. Probably six to eight weeks before the internship is to
begin is a good time range for contact to be made.
c. If a follow-up is possible, make a call or
send an email the week after you send the cover letter and resume. Don't sit
back and wait. This is an assertive process and if you don't follow-up, someone
else is likely to.
What to Do
after the Internship is Obtained:
If the employer requests a letter confirming that college
credit is being given for the internship, the student should request this
directly from the Center for Career Development. After the student is accepted for the internship,
he or she should go to the CCD to pick up an information packet. This
packet contains the following:
1.
Learning Agreement. The student should fill this out and get it
signed by the internship advisor/instructor and the employer. If the student is
an international student he or she will need to get it signed by
the Director of International Studies.
2.
Registration Form. This form requires the signature of the
internship advisor/instructor
and a staff member in the Center for Career
Development.
The student then returns the Learning Agreement to the
CCD and the Registration Form to the Registrar’s Office
(with a copy to CCD).
3.
Employer Evaluation. This evaluation form needs to be completed
near the end of the internship by the employer supervisor. The supervisor must
fill this out, sign it, and return the evaluation to the Center for Career
Development by the
stated deadline. The student may give it to the employer early on or hold onto
it until about two-thirds of the way into the internship. The internship cannot
receive college credit without the supervisor’s evaluation.
4.
Student Evaluation of the Internship Experience. This is
completed by the student and returned to the Center for Career Development by the deadline.
The student should beware of deadlines that pertain to the
following:
- Registration date
(This is up until about two
weeks after the add/drop date.);
- Employer evaluation;
- Student evaluation;
and
- All
Academic Paperwork (Late submissions will incur penalties.).
Note: If a student chooses to take an internship on
his or her own and the company he or she wishes to intern at does not require
that an internship be taken for college credit, the student may take the
internship separately and apart from the college. However, it cannot be used for
the Music Management major requirements.
A Golden Opportunity:
Manhattanville College’s proximity to New York City (just thirty minutes
away) offers the Music Management major a
golden opportunity—the possibility of interning at a
world-class entertainment firm. New York City is home to many multinational
entertainment companies and our Music Management majors
have interned at a number of these, not to mention at some excellent boutique
music companies, as well.
As far as where you should intern, set your
sites high! Think big! The search is understandably
filled with anxiety, but there has never been a
problem finding a meaningful and rewarding placement.
You must dedicate yourself to the search, however, and be persistent. You
should:
If you follow these guidelines, you should
be rewarded with an interesting and
satisfying internship. Recent internships have
included: Warner Music Group, Sony/BMG, Columbia Records, Blue Note
Records, EMI Music North America, Capitol Records, Virgin Records, Astralwerks
Records, Island Def Jam, Interscope Records, RCA Records,
Ultra Records, Audiobrain,Vantage Artists Management, Lincoln Center, ABC Radio, Hot 97-FM, BMI,
Tonic Song Library, Helene Blue Music, Billboard Magazine, Columbia Pictures,
Live! With Regis and Kelly, and MTV.
