Get ready to apply for an internship.
Let’s get this straight from the start. Your Behance site is the portfolio you need to send to people to get an internship.
PREP
Portfolio
For an internship, a Behance website is perfect. The standard Behance profile works, or you can switch to Adobe Portfolio (myportfolio). Take some time to edit how you present your projects, edit the text, and unpublish older projects or ones that aren't as strong. If the job posting asks for a PDF portfolio, look at the interview portfolio page. If you get an interview, it is a good idea to have a PDF presentation ready.Resume
A designer can tell a lot from your resume. Check out the link for what to put on your resume, tips on how to format it and examples. Don't overdesign it. It is a typographic exercise, not a platform to show your personality.Cover Letter/First Email
Your first email to a potential employer is all they have to form a first impression of you. Don't rush it. Read through these tips, and have someone read your email before you hit send.Many studios will look you up before they reply. Make your LinkedIn match your resume, use a clear headshot, put your portfolio link near the top, and write a short headline, like "Graphic Design student at KU, typography and branding."
FINDING INTERNSHIPS
Start with KU's Handshake, Titus’ page, the AIGA Design Jobs board and Coroflot. Then go straight to the studios on your research list. Many studios never post internships, so send a short email anyway.
When to apply
Summer internships often open in the fall and fill by early spring. Start your list now, and apply in waves instead of all at once, so you can improve your email and portfolio as you go.
Keep track
Keep a spreadsheet of every place you contact: the studio, the contact's name, the date you sent it, a follow-up date and their response. It keeps you from forgetting someone or emailing the same person twice.
THE INTERVIEW
Talk through your work. Practice presenting three projects in about ten minutes: the problem, your process and the solution. Time yourself, and practice out loud with a friend. Pair this with your interview portfolio.
Questions to ask them
Come with two or three questions of your own. What does a typical week look like for an intern? Who would I be working with? What have past interns worked on?
Follow up
Send a short thank-you email within a day of an interview. If you haven't heard back about an application after a week or two, one polite follow-up email is fine.
References
Have two or three people ready to speak for you, like a professor and a past employer. Ask them before you list them, and send them your resume so they know what you're applying for
OTHER TIPS
Blurbs
Edit or rewrite how you talk about your projects online. You won't be there to talk through the project, so what does the viewer need to know about the problem, process and solution?
Research (start now) Get a head start on who you want to work with or work for. Who are your design heroes? Start by reading through Research, and begin a document you can keep updating.
Once you have started your research, faculty will be happy to add to it. But DO NOT just tell us hey I want to work in Chicago who should I contact. You have to start and tell us what you have found, places you like, why ect and then we are happy to help with more names, connect you to Alumni ect.