How to find an internship that fits your academic schedule
How can I find internships that will coordinate with my school schedule? All I’ve found are full-time internships and I can’t seem to find any where I can go in once a week for 5 months or something like that.
Plus I don’t want to change the sched of my class since I was able to get the good profs this time and their other time slots don’t help much.
To answer this best, let’s talk about what the interning scene is like first before how to find an internship like you're asking, so we all have the same picture in our heads.
Most multinationals, big corporations, and ‘popular’ places can afford to be picky with their interns, because they will always have a ton of applicants. They want to find full-time, committed, and usually underpaid or unpaid smart labor to get the detailed grunt work done. It’s just the way the Manila interning scene is (for now, at least, give me a few years and I’ll figure something out.)
You sound like you want to prioritize your studies, but you have some free time that you’d like to utilize via interning. Full-time interning is definitely not for you, especially if it means heading into the office. What I suggest is to find a work-from-home, remote, or output-based internship instead.
Related: What was your internship hours and how’d you balance it with acads?
My advice would be to find somewhere that can’t afford to be picky. Consider applying for a startup or a super small company, maybe a < 5 person team. Fair warning though, they probably won’t pay you, considering you’re not working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Up to you to decide how to approach the pay problem. Try to negotiate for at least expenses reimbursement so that you're not getting the short end of the stick.
So, how do you find these places that’ll take your condition in? DM your favorite local brands, startups, or restaurants and ask them if they need someone to help out with social media, accounting, or general upkeep. That's it. You lose nothing by asking. And you're probably going to flatter them with your offer.
Ask with sincerity and humility, and don’t forget to ask for their email so you can send over your CV and free times for meeting at their office.
Don’t feel like you can only apply to places that posted that they’re looking for interns, expand your search to find places that align to your current skills and interests.
Related: 5 steps to writing a successful cover letter
There are places that are near Ateneo that can accommodate this kind of internship request, since there are tons of offices in the Katipunan extension apparently (the Katips part, as in the restaurant).
I’m sure you can find something either at Esteban Abada (which also apparently has a lot of offices) or Katip extension, just message their FB and be politely incessant. My blockmate worked at Gouache the bag brand during the semester, so message them to see if they’re still accepting or not.
For places anywhere else, I have no idea, but my tip is to search on Facebook for 'local business near me'. The search algorithm is scary good at showing us how much FB knows about us.
If they don’t reply to you, or treat you skeptically, don’t take it personally. We’re a naturally skeptical society to people who offer us help for free. Stay cool, and continue your search.
Another thing I suggest is for you to look for companies in locations convenient for you and inquire about their internship program or if they’re accepting interns on a part-time or output basis. This is an easier alternative, instead of you looking at the internships available and figuring out which is most convenient given your time and location.
Other general advice:
Expand where you’re looking for internships online.
Kalibrr.com and Ateneo/UP/DLSU Jobs and Internships (these are all FB groups) are good places to look for part-time or work-from-home internships as well.
But personally, considering your condition, I highly suggest you just message small companies’ FB pages in search of an internship that works for both of you. If you’re willing to work for free, then anyone will be willing to take you. You just need to be discerning about the learnings you’ll gain from your chosen company.
Related: Where to find jobs in Manila?
Above all else, know that you can’t be super picky about the company name, since it’s your time that’s more important. Also, you might not have any marketable skills at all so you really can’t afford to be picky with the kind of work you’ll be doing.
An internship where you learned about the corporate hierarchy and how they treat unskilled labor is better than no internship at all.
Good luck to all those looking for internships during the sem!! I believe in you!! And if you ever need recommendations for where to intern, drop me a DM @justineltchua on either Twitter or IG and I can point you to a place that’s in line with your interests and that I’ll vouch for.
Hi! I’m Justine.
I’m the founder and writer of all things in The Bumpy Career and welcome to Job Hunting, a slot where I share the life hacks and life facts I’ve learned over the course of my internships and job hunt. I hate that all the advice is either archaic, rude, or pretentious; job hunting’s hard enough as it is, older people don’t have to be rude about it. So that you guys don’t have to go through the terror of trial and erroring this stuff like I did, I made a whole category about it for you.
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