Grownup Internships: Create Opportunity Where None Exists

Interview, Job Search, Resume and LinkedIn

One of the most creative job search techniques, particularly in a soft job market like the one we’re in, is to offer yourself as an unpaid intern.

I’m not talking only to traditional college-aged experience-seekers; I’m suggesting that you — a seasoned professional — consider leasing yourself for free or for a modest stipend.

I can already hear your negative reaction:

“I’m not working for free! Are you aware that I’ve led several blue-chip companies and startups over the years? Look at this A-list of clients and ‘companies worked for’ on my resume! Not to mention I was pulling down a hefty six-figure salary only a few months ago! And now I’m expected to work for nothing? Sorry. No can do. I’d rather stay unemployed!”

And you may get your wish.

The Huffington Post has reported that recent work experience (meaning any former employment held within the last six months) ranks high among the factors most likely to net you a new gig. And the longer you’ve been out of work, the harder it is to find another job.

And countless studies, including this one from The New York Times, have shown that knowing or getting to know those who work where you want to work is the single best way to land a job there yourself.

With this in mind, a grownup internship, as mortifying as it may seem, may provide you with the perfect opportunity to a) get valuable experience now and b) make friends in all the right places.

 

How Does a Grownup Internship Work?

In college, your career center or academic department maintained a database of internship opportunities from companies hungry for young talent. The traditional intern was seen as green, raw, and more than willing to pay whatever dues necessary to ensure a future quality of life. In turn, the hiring company promised to provide such innocents with a general overview of its reason for being, along with exposure to its particular working environment.

Fast-forward 20 years. You’re not in college anymore (sigh), and there’s no active and accessible list of internships for you to look up. And here’s the kicker: grownup internships don’t readily exist. It’s up to you to create one.

Sound like a lot of work? Well, it is.

What lies ahead is no simple task. But keep in mind that the very process of taking time to zero in on the work you want and finding a place where you can do that work goes a long way to ensure you’ll walk away from the internship experience with a new set of skills, plus new contacts who will attest to your abilities, professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit.

 

The Nuts and Bolts

The chief benefit of creating your own internship is that it can be whatever and wherever you want it to be. Remember: anything is possible — and negotiable!

There are three main steps involved in landing a grownup internship:

 

Step 1: Extensive Research

Conduct research to figure out what you want to do and where you want to do it. Locate and talk to people in your desired field, research companies on LinkedIn, read industry trades and company news reports. Find the companies that are doing what you want to do.

Who’s investing in the technologies and markets that get you excited? What type of organization feels like the right fit for you? Which companies do you have an “in” with and/or which seem progressive enough to see the value in a non-traditional intern? Try to identify 5 to 10 tier-one companies that most interest you. (A longer list may prove unmanageable.)

With a target list of companies in hand, arrange informational interviews with key people at the organizations you’ve identified. Read company press releases and any other intelligence you can get your hands on. Attend job fairs and other events where company reps will be in attendance — then make sure to meet them.

Your job at this stage is to gather as much intelligence as possible to understand the company’s short- and long- term objectives, its strengths and challenges. (Ultimately, you’ll help solve those challenges.) You’ll also want to figure out who the best person is for you to contact. In 95% of cases, it won’t be the HR director, but rather a department head in the area where you’d like to work.

A word of caution: When you meet with people inside the company, you’ll want to introduce yourself and your background, ask questions and, when the time is right, present your concept of an internship. Some folks may deem your proposal odd, but that just means you’ve come up with a truly unique solution to get out of your unemployment status. Remember, every new idea received a raised eyebrow at the start.

 

Step 2: The Proposal

Now that you know more about the company and the right person to contact, it’s time to write and deliver your proposal.

Beginning with an executive summary, a powerful proposal should not only clearly communicate what you want, but also address the company’s need(s) head-on. Your reader should get a crystal-clear picture of how you’ll be spending your time, what it will cost them to bring you on board (in terms of resource and time allocation, physical space and stipend, if any) and what you hope to accomplish that will help the company solve a particular problem or take advantage of an untapped opportunity.

Make it clear what the payoff will be: With your 10, 20 or 30 years of relevant experience and skills, you can make their business stronger, stretch their dollars further and/or increase revenue.

More caution: Make sure the person to whom you send your internship proposal is sufficiently high up in the organization; junior employees may feel threatened and do their best to derail your efforts.

 

Step 3: Cash In

The ultimate treasure at the end of the rainbow is, hopefully, a paid position, contingent upon you having sufficiently met the internship goals agreed to by you and your supervisor. In the ideal scenario, your internship proposal would stipulate the specifics of such an arrangement, but in all reality, there will likely be no such guarantee in place. Rather, you’ll need to excel in the internship so much that the employer can’t imagine not hiring you.

Still, while there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a job offer following your internship, no one can take away the experience and contacts you’ll make in the process.

 

In Summary

A grownup internship holds benefits for all involved. For you, it means new skills, new knowledge and (ideally) a paid gig. For the employer, it will means experienced help, the ability to test-drive a potential employee and the opportunity to save money at a time when companies are reluctant to bring on full-time staff.

A grownup internship can be a powerful career move. (Like this thought? Tweet it!) It can have a direct and positive impact on your job prospects and facilitate a career change. As an experienced professional, you will have proven yourself as a valuable entity (more so than a less experienced rival), and you will therefore be in a better position to negotiate successfully for post-internship paid employment or whatever else you’re seeking.

Would you ever consider a grownup internship? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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