5 things you should know before picking an internship location
It’s easy gloss over the internship location preference step but it’s actually very important for your career. Here’s how you can get it right easily.
Any company you apply to will ask you if you’re willing to relocate to their city for an internship. Companies with multiple offices will also commonly ask you to specify your preferred location. It may not seem important or it might seem too difficult to give a well-planned response, but internship location preference is an often overlooked piece towards your future success.
Plan for the future
1. Choose where you would live full-time
Companies use internships to introduce you to their values, culture, and processes with the hope that you’ll be fully prepared for a full-time position. When they train you during an internship, they know exactly what to expect later on. That’s why many internships lead to employment offers at the same office after graduation. Therefore, you should consider a summer internship as the first chapter of your career rather than a prologue.
During your time as an intern you’ll become familiar with your surroundings and meet friends and coworkers whom you can collaborate with throughout your career. If you choose a location different from where your internship is for a full-time position, you’ll have to build new relationships and learn about an entirely new area. While this happens sometimes, if you want to work for a company beyond an internship it’s best to choose a place right from the start that makes you happy.
2. Pick a city in addition to a company
An internship is a good time to not only get a feel for professional work but also to discover the life you want to lead beyond school. You’ll be spending at least a couple months in a “real-world” setting. When you leave the office for the day, there isn’t homework waiting to be done and there aren’t tests to study for. You’re free to do whatever you like so maximize this opportunity.
Choosing both a company and a city lets you evaluate work and leisure at the same time. This combination helps you determine your best path to success after graduation.
Surround yourself with a strong community in your industry and you’ll have opportunities to develop your skills outside the office. Whether it’s through meet-ups, conferences, or informal groups, you’ll grow faster in your career with a supportive community. And in reality, people who aren’t constantly learning are passed by those who expand their skillsets. You wouldn’t want that to happen simply because your location doesn’t give you access to these opportunities.
Consider your free time as well. Can you participate in the activities you’re interested in where you live? In a week there’s more time outside of work than there is at work so it’s key to find a place that balances all of your interests. Career burnout is increasingly a problem amongst recent graduates. Living somewhere with access to a lot of fun will prevent that negative outcome.
Ace the job application process
3. Explain why you prefer your choices
Sometimes a company will not only ask you which location you prefer, but they’ll also ask you why. This is a tricky question to answer on your own. When you use MapTitan, you can explain exactly why you made your decision.
A thoughtful answer will show them that you care about enjoying where you live (a must for getting a full-time offer) and that you are committed to doing your best work (remember, companies look for corporate culture buy-in, location included).
4. Apply your top choices consistently
If you’re applying for multiple internships, it’s best to keep your location preferences as consistent as possible across your applications. This way, you’ll be able to really focus on which role and culture is the best fit for you. If you try to compare different jobs and different regions at the same time, it’s difficult to make a fair assessment. The key is to make the choice as clear as possible so that you have a higher chance of being happy.
Make your decision
5. Decide between options
We saw tips on what to consider for your internship location preference. But when it finally comes down to deciding, it can be difficult and time consuming to do the research manually, which takes up valuable time and energy that you could be using to find the right job or excel in your classes. That’s why many students turn to MapTitan.
MapTitan makes deciding simple. Just describe your ideal city with the straightforward options and you get a clear reason why one city is better for you than another. You can even compare the similarities and differences between your internship’s possible locations. It’s the easiest way to make your decision and it really shows your employer your commitment to great work.
Here’s to a fun and productive summer, full of successes.
Determine your internship location preference. MapTitan is the best way to get personalized recommendations for places you’ll love to live over the summer and beyond.
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