Business Internships Broken Down
- Asia Torres
- Mar 8, 2025
- 3 min read
What is up with the internship market?! The internship job market has become more competitive than ever, leaving many students and recent graduates struggling to secure valuable work experience. With companies increasing their expectations, with the limited positions available, and an increasing number of applicants, landing an internship is no longer a simple step toward a successful career. As industries demand more skills and prior experience, young professionals are being forced to navigate a high-stakes environment where even unpaid roles are fiercely contested! So, what’s driving this intense competition, and how can candidates improve their chances?
What About Business Internships?
Lucky for you, this isn’t the technology world. Below are some statistics on how well interns in the business world are doing as of 2024. Business happens to be one of the easiest career fields you can get into, so why does it feel so impossible?
There’s a lot to know before applying to any sort of internship. Internships, even if unpaid, are the gateway to a career. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere. Even in a large, competitive pool of applicants!
Where Do We Even Start?
Undergraduates are in desperate need of that experience, so try not to be picky with what you want to do. First of all, start somewhere easy. Join an organization on your college campus to gain mentorship, experience, and networking opportunities. Here’s what we recommend...
Collegiate Clubs & Organizations to Join on Campus!
Future Business Leaders of America
ENACTUS
Investment Club(s)
Financial Management Association
American Marketing Association
Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization
Entrepreneurship Club(s)
Association for Information Systems
Women in Business
National Association of Black Accountants
Association of Latino Professionals for America
There are lots of good options out there based on your career path, as well as being excellent resume boosters! These will often come with networking abilities and the chance to gain real-world experience to kickstart your career.
Resume building is key to the application process for a job; start 3 to 6 months early when you know you’re going to be in the market to work. Unpaid work isn’t always a waste of time; recall that interns work for experience, not pay! Clubs lead to internships, so this is great advice for incoming college freshmen looking to get a headstart on the game. To all of the college sophomores and juniors barely starting, this is your chance to engage in curated experiences before the end of the spring semester! Experience outweighs academics, so do not waste time in college.
Resume Building
Nobody wants to hire recent graduates because it takes up a lot of resources to train them. So don’t just be the recent graduate, show hiring managers that you can start immediately. The more time they waste trying to train you, the more time they lose out on doing their actual job, setting them back. Below are 15 resume tips that will surely set you on the right track from Indeed, we also recommend searching for some on the Internet.
15 Resume Tips to land you that Internship
Look for keywords in job postings
Review resume examples from industry
Using professional fonts
Use active language and power words
Refrain from using business lingo or self-promoting words
Craft professional emails
Include only relevant information
Recall that resumes are reviewed opinion-based
List as many achievements as possible to stand out
Use numbers and data to back up experience
Don’t go over one page
Make multiple versions for different roles
Include a photo
Follow up on your resume
Don’t use buzzwords or fluff
Don’t wait till graduation to apply for an internship; you have to start as early as possible. In all honesty, some recruiters don’t even get through all applications before accepting someone. Your resume is more than just a document; it’s your story, your journey, and your potential all on one page. It’s your chance to show not just what you’ve done, but what you’re capable of. Approach it with confidence, highlighting the skills and experiences that make you unique. Be bold, clear, and let your accomplishments shine. Every word should serve a purpose, every detail should reflect your ambition.
Sources
Handshake Blog. “Your Guide to Business Internships.” Handshake, joinhandshake.com/blog/students/business-internships/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Northup, Genevieve. “10 Resume Writing Tips to Help You Land a Position.” Indeed, 19 Feb. 2025, www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/10-resume-writing-tips.
The University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. “Seven Tips for Developing a Small Business Intern Program.” Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, web.uri.edu/risbdc/old-blog-page/seven-tips-for-developing-a-small-business-intern-program/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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