The next internship

[hallstot]

Right now I've got a great internship at an MPO in MN. I'm learning a lot and all is well. This fall I'll start my MURP and lately I've been trying to think of places to focus my efforts on finding an internship for next summer. I'd really like to relocate out west to be a little closer to family/roots and, frankly, to get out of the Midwest. (I've enjoyed myself here but it's time to move on. I come from a long line of "movers".)

My Question:
Has anyone ever gotten a paid internship on the other side of the country with absolutely no personal connections? Just one solid planning internship under their belt and a half of a MURP?

Or,
Is this such a "who you know" field that I should take any MN/WI connection I can get and just be happy with it?

Thanks.

[Blide]

Getting a summer internship is like any other job. Contacts certainly help but they're by no means essential. So it's not that difficult to get an internship in another area of the country, especially if it's unpaid. The issue is whether you think getting an internship across the country is worth the potential logistical and financial issues associated with it. For myself, I didn't feel that it was but many of my classmates felt otherwise.

[Planitgood]

Well, I can't say that I have gotten an Internship from across the country, but I can say that I have gotten a paid internship that was originally unpaid with no planning experience whatsoever. I was then able to get a nicely paid internship the following summer. To echo what Blide said, getting an internship can be done without contacts. You just need to represent yourself well and drop your hooks in as many unorthodox places as you can think of. Knock on EVERY DOOR and if it's unpaid, don't be afraid to ask. Yeah I know it's hard economic times, but asking never hurts.

[HomerJ]

I got an entry level job over 500 miles away with only a bachelors, a couple internships, and zero contacts in the area. If your work is impressive and you take the time to thoroughly research organizations you apply for, you can definitely get the job. Contacts certainly do help (especially for finding jobs that aren't advertised), but a good organization will hire the best candidate.

[Hink]

I got an internship in Colorado (I am in Ohio) with only 1 three month internship under my belt. I got paid minimum wage and did hard work, but it was worth it.

That was in the prime days of planning though, so who knows what you can get today. I would imagine that there are many internships that are going to planners with degrees and experience.

Good luck!