Hello all!
I am finishing up my undergrad right now and will be going to Ryerson University for my Masters in the fall. I have a free summer in between so I am asking:
a) I am interested in doing an internship but I have minimal knowledge an experience in planning. Should I be looking for an intership for a planning firm to do still?
b) If yes, how/where do I start?
Thanks!
MLK.
I went to a small liberal arts college and I managed to get three internships in planning without any experiences whatsoever. So, if you've got the time and the inclination I would definitely look for an internship to flesh out your interests and continue gaining experience in your field(s) of interests.
What I did, and its just one among many, is to approach one area of planning that interested me, find some organizations with cool projects in that area, and contact them directly. If you have networking contacts that know people in firms that interest you, work them. Ask them to introduce you via email or see if they're interested in interns or if they would willing to give you an informational interview. Any connection you have to a firm can help you, even if only to point you towards another potential place and another contact.
If you don't have a connection, no worries. If the firm overtly offer internships you can apply through that route. If they don't you can still contact someone heading up a project you're interested in and ask about the potential of internships with their firm/project/etc. Even if they have no interest or need for interns, people are usually surprisingly helpful and might point you to another organization in the area that uses interns. Feel free to send a resume and use the same spin you do on any cover letter, i.e. emphasize the skills you have gained, your interest in their company/firm/project specifically, and what you hope to gain from the experience. Don't focus on what you can't do but be honest if they ask. Hope this helps and good luck!
I went to a small liberal arts college and I managed to get three internships in planning without any experiences whatsoever. So, if you've got the time and the inclination I would definitely look for an internship to flesh out your interests and continue gaining experience in your field(s) of interests.
What I did, and its just one among many, is to approach one area of planning that interested me, find some organizations with cool projects in that area, and contact them directly. If you have networking contacts that know people in firms that interest you, work them. Ask them to introduce you via email or see if they're interested in interns or if they would willing to give you an informational interview. Any connection you have to a firm can help you, even if only to point you towards another potential place and another contact.
If you don't have a connection, no worries. If the firm overtly offer internships you can apply through that route. If they don't you can still contact someone heading up a project you're interested in and ask about the potential of internships with their firm/project/etc. Even if they have no interest or need for interns, people are usually surprisingly helpful and might point you to another organization in the area that uses interns. Feel free to send a resume and use the same spin you do on any cover letter, i.e. emphasize the skills you have gained, your interest in their company/firm/project specifically, and what you hope to gain from the experience. Don't focus on what you can't do but be honest if they ask. Hope this helps and good luck!
The 'Search' function should show you scores (if not hundreds) of results containing the full breadth of the full opinion of folks here giving their answers to this exact question. And IMHO you should start in January-ish to get a leg up on everyone else, including planners looking for anything to do to find gainful employment (besides stocking shelves and bartending).Originally posted by MLK
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Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
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