It’s almost spring, and that means one thing as a grad student: time to hunt for summer jobs or an internship! While internships are not a required part of the Master of Public Policy curriculum, they are an excellent way to get your foot in the door and apply the skills you learn in the classroom to real-life situations and problems.
There are so many platforms to reach out to locate prospective employers (LinkedIn, Handshake, Indeed, Idealist, plus a slew of others) that it can be tough to figure out a good starting point. Luckily, there are several arms of support at the Heller School to help students navigate the process!
When I first started my internship search this spring, I reached out to my advisor and set up a time to chat. The professors at the Heller School are more than happy to get in touch with their personal networks on your behalf, identify organizations that may have a need for interns, or talk more generally about your career goals. Because Heller professors are so invested in their students and helping us shape meaningful careers, they want us to land internships that develop our skill sets and are aligned with our interests. It is so helpful to have someone in your corner to talk about the challenges of the internship search, especially one you can speak with candidly and who knows your strengths.
The Heller School has its own Career Development Center to support you in your internship or job search. Staff members are available to meet to discuss your resume, cover letter, and search strategies. They are familiar with employers in the area, what hiring managers are looking for in your resume and cover letter, and how to manage your time effectively while searching for a role.
Brandeis also has a student and alumni networking site: BConnect. Those who are affiliated with Brandeis can create an account and browse jobs or connect with alumni about potential opportunities. It’s a great place to start the search or put out feelers for alumni who are connected to organizations in your area of interest.
In my internship search, I have found a great deal of value in my peers. Something as simple as chatting about the challenges we are facing during our search can be so helpful. It’s also great to chat about our successes (interviews, offers, applications that have opened) to uplift one another as we navigate this journey.
Your own personal network is important, too! Reach out to friends from high school, college, family friends, even past supervisors. You never know who someone may know.
The most important thing to remember in your internship search is that you are not alone! Although starting the process can be daunting, the community of Heller is here to help and support you through this process to achieve your career goals.