INFORMS Open Forum

A number of our student members have been asking us how best to find and secure an internship. The Career Center at informs.org has an internship search tab that students may find helpful. Besides that, do you have any advice to share – where to look, when to look, how to best present yourself? Please share your insights with your fellow members. Thank you!

------------------------------
Jill Capello
Membership Associate
INFORMS
Catonsville MD
jcapello@informs.org
------------------------------

What I found helpful:
1. Networking! I got two of my internship through networking, and I still keep in touch with my intern supervisors. I found networking is super important. While it doesn't directly bring you an intern opportunity, but it definitely helps gain some insights in a certain industry (especially if you ask good questions), and it helps with building the connection when you mention that you're looking for intern opportunities. 
2. Be honest. Getting an intern opportunity isn't the ultimate goal of networking so being direct and honest is the best way to maintain a longer networking relation. Let people know that you're looking for an intern position (especially for some companies I know that managers can apply for a intern headcount last minute from HR department, so ask for the possibility of a position). 
3. Don't narrow it down to a certain company/industry/position. Internship is an opportunity to learn (and personally I believe learning is more important than getting a job from intern) so as long as you're contributing to your career well enough, it doesn't have to be a certain position or industry. If you are interested in one company, and it's extremely hard to find an intern oppotunity in that company, maybe try a position in the supplier of that company or their clients that you can gain some insights and knowledge, and will immediately standout in future interview. 

Hope this helps! 

------------------------------
Shannon (Xiaonan) Shang
Manager, Data Analytics
Enovation Controls
------------------------------

Great advice, Shannon (Xiaonan).
I think making contacts and connections BEFORE you start to apply for internship positions.  Then, connect with those people to ask about what internship opportunities might exist.

------------------------------
Duncan Klett
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-10-2023 11:02
From: Shannon (Xiaonan) Shang
Subject: Have any advice on finding internships?

What I found helpful:
1. Networking! I got two of my internship through networking, and I still keep in touch with my intern supervisors. I found networking is super important. While it doesn't directly bring you an intern opportunity, but it definitely helps gain some insights in a certain industry (especially if you ask good questions), and it helps with building the connection when you mention that you're looking for intern opportunities. 
2. Be honest. Getting an intern opportunity isn't the ultimate goal of networking so being direct and honest is the best way to maintain a longer networking relation. Let people know that you're looking for an intern position (especially for some companies I know that managers can apply for a intern headcount last minute from HR department, so ask for the possibility of a position). 
3. Don't narrow it down to a certain company/industry/position. Internship is an opportunity to learn (and personally I believe learning is more important than getting a job from intern) so as long as you're contributing to your career well enough, it doesn't have to be a certain position or industry. If you are interested in one company, and it's extremely hard to find an intern oppotunity in that company, maybe try a position in the supplier of that company or their clients that you can gain some insights and knowledge, and will immediately standout in future interview. 

Hope this helps! 

------------------------------
Shannon (Xiaonan) Shang
Manager, Data Analytics
Enovation Controls
------------------------------

First, have some metrics to evaluate the value of the internship?  I know this sounds strange, but one wants to be a smart shopper.  The key metric what is your opportunity to learn?  Who will be your mentor when you are in the organization so you aren't lost day to day ebbs and flows in any organization.  Second, what projects will you work on?  How to find internships?  Much of this is done through the contacts your professors have.  Second is through Informs, third is through networks you develop, fourth is through "cold calls" - reach out to a person you don't know and express your interest. 

------------------------------
Ken Fordyce
director analytics without borders
Arkieva
Wilmington DE
------------------------------

Complementing (and complimenting!!) what my colleagues wrote, I would emphasize three things.

1: Literature shows that people of some identities are more reluctant to put their name out there for positions that they're only "mostly" qualified for. Prior studies indicated that women, generally, want to be very obviously qualified whereas many men will apply to anything. Obviously, that's a huge generalization and I'm not a social scientist. But I would say this: Many companies cannot find enough technically skilled people and will be interested in "mostly qualified" candidates. Let the company reject you; don't reject yourself. If you're not sure, put in that application. 

2: A few students feel like 4-5 applications for internships should be enough. So they go to LinkedIn, apply for a few roles. What I like about this is that they are spending time and tailoring their application to a few companies. Tailoring is good! But depending on your field, we ask those students to apply to a broader set of companies; it probably takes more than just a few applications.

3: Make your application materials crisp, easy to understand (not too dense), and clean. In the interview, focus on what you can do for the company and not what the company can do for you. For instance, "I want to use my operations research skills to improve the safety and productivity of your production line" beats "I want to work in a place that can help me grow personally and professionally" every time. The latter isn't a bad thing to say; I'd just suggest helping people understand how you can help them first. That might be especially true if they aren't quite sure what skills you bring to the table. Some people don't quite know what OR/MS/Analytics really is. (I've been doing this since the 90s and my parents still don't know.)

------------------------------
Cole Smith
Syracuse University
------------------------------

Hi Jill,
   Internships are a very valuable experience, whether required by your degree program or not. Echoing others, I think some helpful venues to pursue would be the following.

  First, current and former students who have completed an internship. Pick their brains for how and where they interned.
  
  Second, faculty in their program or major. Oftentimes, we have written letters of recommendation for internship applications, have industry ties to application opportunities, and are connected to the field of practice.

  Third, college or university career services. If internship opportunities are nascent, career services would be a good starting point to learn more about the application process, existing opportunities, and potential opportunities.

  Fourth, alumni from the program or major may have insight into internship opportunities. Did they complete one? If so, how did they get it? Or, maybe even an opportunity to serve as an intern with the alumni at her/his organization.

  Fifth, social networking and cold calling with a particular nod to LinkedIn. The majority of industry professionals and their organizations have some presence on LinkedIn so this presents a nice opportunity to join their network and/or ask about internship opportunities.

  Sixth, professional societies, such as INFORMS, of course, is essential to not only look for internships but for career development as well.

  Hope this helps.

-Murray

------------------------------
Murray Cote
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University
College Station TX
------------------------------

Jill and Murray, I also endorse your university Career Center as a source of good positions. These are vetted; the school has a history with each employer, and that gives insight into where the good experiences came from.  

It's too bad when an intern gets trapped in a job where they get all the dirty work and no chance to play a meaningful role.  Your search should be aimed at making sure you don't find one of those experiences.  It's awful to waste a summer or a semester on work that's not as rewarding for you as it is for the hiring firm.

------------------------------
Bruce Hartman
Professor
University of St. Francis
Tucson, AZ United States
bruce@ahartman.net
website:http://drbrucehartman.net/brucewebsite/
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-12-2023 12:56
From: Murray Cote
Subject: Have any advice on finding internships?

Hi Jill,
   Internships are a very valuable experience, whether required by your degree program or not. Echoing others, I think some helpful venues to pursue would be the following.

  First, current and former students who have completed an internship. Pick their brains for how and where they interned.
  
  Second, faculty in their program or major. Oftentimes, we have written letters of recommendation for internship applications, have industry ties to application opportunities, and are connected to the field of practice.

  Third, college or university career services. If internship opportunities are nascent, career services would be a good starting point to learn more about the application process, existing opportunities, and potential opportunities.

  Fourth, alumni from the program or major may have insight into internship opportunities. Did they complete one? If so, how did they get it? Or, maybe even an opportunity to serve as an intern with the alumni at her/his organization.

  Fifth, social networking and cold calling with a particular nod to LinkedIn. The majority of industry professionals and their organizations have some presence on LinkedIn so this presents a nice opportunity to join their network and/or ask about internship opportunities.

  Sixth, professional societies, such as INFORMS, of course, is essential to not only look for internships but for career development as well.

  Hope this helps.

-Murray

------------------------------
Murray Cote
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University
College Station TX
------------------------------

Some thoughts in addition to the excellent advice that was already sent out:

Approach this like any job interview: Be active and look for relevant positions in institutions you are interested in.

Practice makes perfect: Try to get 1-2 interviews for internships you are less interested in to get experience before interviewing for the ones you really want

Think about what's right for both you and the position you are interviewing for: The goal is not to get the internship, but to ensure that it is successful. I.e., you should get what you want from the internship, and the hiring institution should benefit as well. They should want to hire you when the internship is over.

Try to get as much as possible from the interview itself. You should try to leave a good personal impression, even if you are not a good fit for the position, so that you could still be considered for other positions.

If you get rejected, don't be shy about asking for feedback. Feedback, when objective, is always a gift and can help you understand where your weak points are, and how you should better prepare for future positions.

------------------------------
Segev Wasserkrug
Research Staff Member
IBM Research - Israel
Haifa
------------------------------

Last fall I hired a student for an Analytics Engineering position, graduate level. I posted on the local college's job site and had zero applicants in 2-weeks! I switched to LinkedIn and immediately had a dozen or more applicants within a day, many of them qualified but not quite in the local area I was looking for.  I refined the post, had a half-dozen more candidates and narrowed down to two within a few days. Since then I've had the position filled and found a perfect fit! Bottom line - if there's not activity quickly either from a recruiter or applicants, depending on which side you're on, there might not be visibility. I'd suggest LinkedIn as a first stop/broad search, specific websites (INFORMS, company sites, etc.) next, and university career centers after that. Look for responsiveness and move on quickly if you're not seeing it!

------------------------------
Aaron Hussey
Founder & CEO
Integral Analytics, LLC
Concord NC
------------------------------

Drawing from my experience at Reichman University, where I have the privilege of advising undergraduate students majoring in Digital Innovation - a technological fusion of Data Science and Product Development - I've observed that securing an internship at a reputable company is invaluable. It confers a significant degree of professional prestige, as exemplified by the addition of the company's logo on a student's LinkedIn profile.

Academic endeavors, while important, tend to be homogeneous across most students' profiles. For instance, the university's logo is a given, and even a brief exchange program at a prestigious U.S. institution is not uncommon. What truly stands out is the logo of a well-respected company, earned through an internship - however brief it may be.

I strongly advocate that students maintain a portfolio of organizations they admire and proactively seek internship opportunities within these firms. Networking is key - don't hesitate to leverage connections, even if they are second-degree. It can also be beneficial to offer services in an unpaid capacity, if that's what it takes to secure a position. Remember, the objective is to do exceptional work that warrants the addition of the company's logo on your LinkedIn profile.

It is important to note that an internship should not necessarily be viewed as a pathway to a permanent role within the same company. Interns are often perceived as just that, even post-internship. Hence, it's crucial to extract maximum value from the internship experience and then move on to secure a full-time role elsewhere.

Personally, I maintain a running list of companies I hold in high esteem. Recently, I added BrightDrop and Bending Spoons to this list. I strongly recommend my students to consider these companies and even propose remote work arrangements, if necessary.

------------------------------
Moses Miller
Assistant Professor
Reichman University
Herzliya
------------------------------

Thanks for such a valuable topic, Jill! I would like to bring up the topic of the international students in the USA here.

In our school we have a MS SCM program, and, like most schools, most students in that program are international. For such students, finding an internship is incredibly hard in the last few years, as many companies avoid dealing with them. It has always been tough for them, but for the last few years it got worse, as the US administration guidelines keep changing, and the USCIS is severely backlogged.

My advice to the international students usually is:
1. Open the database of E-verify participating employers and target the companies listed there. E-verify enrollment is a good signal that a company is willing to work with international students, and besides, you can only get STEM OPT extension if you work for an E-verify employer.
2. Apply a lot, apply everywhere, do not bother tailoring the applications too much.
3. Be prepared for disappointments. Just last week I had a student crying in my office, as her offer got rescinded when the HR person started the process and realized that the hiring process would be tougher than they initially thought. The student was fully transparent about her status through all the interviews and did not expect this at all.

I also got an impression that the Midwest companies are more conservative when it comes to hiring international students. Does anyone else have that impression?

------------------------------
Yulia Vorotyntseva
Saint Louis University
St Louis MO
------------------------------

I would narrow your fellowship search to your industry. If you are more experienced and educated, I would apply to specific organizations based on shared values. In a previous life, I had a CDC fellowship. By completing the fellowship, I reinforced by education and experience. My career progression more or less makes sense. So when a hiring manager looks at my resume, I get a call because in paper, I make logical sense. 

------------------------------
Alberto Aparicio
Data Analyst
Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc.
La Mesa CA
------------------------------