Help! Why is it impossible for me to find a internship?

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 01:14 PM

I really want to intern at a company to see firsthand what it is like to have that career. The only problem is that after hours of exhaustive search on the internet, I've only found 2 oppurtunities in my entire county for high school students-and they both have an age requiremnt of 16 yrs by time of internship. This is just not fair, I'm 15 but won't turn 16 in time for the internship. What's a few months, anyways?
I've looked up a bunch of companies near me for job oppurtunities and internships but the only thing they offer are internships for college students.
I want to do something over the summer that will allow me to experiment with possible careers, but am finding it impossible to find ANYTHING.
Should I just send emails to human resources or something, and offer to intern without pay? Or would that be to forward?
It's just getting frustrating. It feels like whenever I find great volunteer or internships program, there are always age requirements. I feel like I am just as mature and hardworking as anyone else. For oppurtunities with age requirements, should I just send in my application if I don't meet it anyways, or is that a bad idea?

Any tips on finding internships? Good websites that list internships?

Ideas for alternatives to internships?

bearcats · 04-09-2009, 01:23 PM

think from the company's point of view, what do you have to offer them?
From their point of view, you are at the bottom of the pile

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 01:27 PM

^ true, but still. A lot of people on this site have had internships. How do they manage to get one?

futurenyustudent · 04-09-2009, 01:39 PM

Connections, connections, and more connections.

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 01:42 PM

^if that's the case, this sucks. I have NO connections. *sigh*

futurenyustudent · 04-09-2009, 01:55 PM

Start cold-calling places and hope that you get something.

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 01:59 PM

What's "cold-calling"?
Do I just start asking human resources and pestering them?

futurenyustudent · 04-09-2009, 02:20 PM

Yup. Don't pester. Ask. What have you got to lose? Seriously, what's the worst they can do to you, hang up?

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 02:23 PM

True. I generally don't like calling people, but I really want an internship so I guess I will just suck it up and call lots of places. Like if I do 20 companies, chances are at least 1 might want to hire me

bearcats · 04-09-2009, 04:12 PM

lol chances are you'll have to cold call more than 20 companies. My friend has a less than stellar gpa 3.3 and he cold called 80 places before 2 places replied, and this is at a semi-target

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 04:22 PM

Wow, 80?
I should just send mass emails out lol. Only one click and I contact 100 companies

bearcats · 04-09-2009, 04:25 PM

they'll see through it right away

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 04:31 PM

I probably end up doing emails, bc I don't really like phones...maybe not mass ones though, lol. More of an "I would love to intern for [insert company name]"

bearcats · 04-09-2009, 04:35 PM

you cant write generic cover letters, especially since you are in high school, they are already unlikely to take you... you need something they can wow them. And dont write about what you want to learn about, write about what you bring to the table

chocobok · 04-09-2009, 04:40 PM

^ perhaps that is the reason nobody wants high school students for interns.
Now that I think of it, I don't really have ANYTHING to bring to the table, except being a free worker...Must I go into how good I will be at fetching coffee and donuts? jk

. Hopefully I will think of something.