Individual Action Plan for Internship Seekers The CMU- SV Individualized Action Plan is designed to help job or internship seekers establish a plan for success. An individual search may feel overwhelming or confusing at times, but breaking it up into smaller action items will make the process smoother and more efficient. To stay on track and ensure essential milestones aren t missed, it is recommended that job or internship seekers review the IAP monthly.
Individual Action Plan Internship Timeline It is important to note that every individual s internship search varies based on a variety of factors and may not follow this timeline exactly. An internship offer may come early in the year or toward the end, and some activities will be ongoing, but this gives internship seekers a general timeline of how their search may unfold. Starting early and staying on track is crucial for a successful internship search.
Individual Action Plan Internship Timeline in Detail June/July Get organized and gear up for your search Complete a self-assessment of your career interests and start exploring areas of career uncertainty. Review CMU resume guides and resources. Polish your resume. Research and create a list of companies that you d love to work for. August Research, research, research Research your field of interest read books, online materials, blogs, articles, etc. Continue working on your self-assessment. Continue developing your resume. Create or update your LinkedIn profile. Continue working on your list of ideal companies. Create your TartanTRAK account and watch the how-to video. September Get active and attend events Attend a group resume review session. Using feedback from the review session, polish and edit your resume. Attend other relevant career-related workshops. Attend employer-sponsored activities. Consider attending the Technical Opportunities Conference in Pittsburgh. Apply for summer internship opportunities that you learned about at TOC and interview. Add CMU staff, faculty, and fellow students as connections on LinkedIn. Research contacts at the companies on your list (LinkedIn is a great resource for this), CMU alumni, friends, friends of friends, recruiters, etc. Add internship opportunities to your company list to track your progress and where you should apply. October Start applying Talk to faculty mentors, peers, and a CMU-SV career consultant about goals and interests. Continue researching companies and adding contacts, internship opportunities, etc. to your target list. Craft your resume and write a new cover letter to match each position you apply to. Start reaching out to contacts and conducting informational interviews. Start applying to postings on company websites and TartanTRAK. When possible, seek referrals from your contact list for specific positions. Practice technical interviewing. Attend relevant career-related workshops and events.
Familiarize yourself with CMU s offer and hiring policy. November Interview Read books and review materials on interviewing. Practice technical and behavioral interview questions. Start or continue interviewing (note: interviewing may start earlier or later for some people). Attend relevant career-related workshops and events and review relevant materials online. Continue applying for positions, talking to contacts, researching opportunities, and tweaking your resume. When and if several offers are made, know where you would like to work most and begin the negotiation process. Make sure you are familiar with CMU s offer and hiring policy under the policy, the deadline for fall internship offers is NOVEMBER 15, so you may be in a position to evaluate and accept an internship offer. Once you accept an offer, your internship search ends and you should cancel any other upcoming interviews. Meet with a career consultant if you need help evaluating your offer. December Reflect and organize Organize your internship search what still needs your attention? What companies are you still interested in but haven t applied to yet? Reflect on what went well this semester and what challenges you experienced. Use these lessons as a guide for your search. Update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other internship documents with relevant information from this semester class projects, relevant coursework, skills, knowledge, etc. Spend time learning more about your field catch up on blogs, articles, books, etc. Make a plan for the spring semester. Relax, refresh, and rejuvenate! January Network Follow up with your contacts update them on where you are in your search, if you ve accepted an offer, what your next steps are, etc. Register and attend local Meetups or networking events in your field of interest, hackathons, and relevant CMU career-related employer events and workshops. Register and attend the CMU Silicon Valley Career fair on January 21, 2015 at Plug and Play Tech Center to network with employers, find out about opportunities (note: even if you ve already accepted an offer, this is still a good networking opportunity). February Continue applying and interviewing Reminder: if you already accepted an offer, you should not keep applying. Keep applying to positions on TartanTRAK, company websites, LinkedIn, etc. Register and attend local Meetups and networking events in your field of interest, hackathons, and relevant CMU career-related employer events and workshops. Practice interviewing with friends, schedule a mock interview online, be prepared and know what you will be asked.
Follow up after interviews with thank you notes and any updates you may have. March Evaluate offers and accept or continue searching Reminder: if you already accepted an offer, you should not keep applying. Keep applying to positions on TartanTRAK, company websites, LinkedIn, etc. Send your resume (if you haven t done so already) to companies that you are interested in they may still have positions available. Register and attend local Meetups and networking events in your field of interest, hackathons, and relevant CMU career-related employer events and workshops. Make sure you are familiar with CMU s offer and hiring policy under the policy, the deadline for spring offers is 3 weeks after an offer is made, so you may be in a position to evaluate and accept an internship offer. Once you accept an offer, your internship search ends and you should cancel any other upcoming interviews. April Get ready for the summer Make travel plans and moving arrangements (if applicable). Find housing in the area (if applicable). Research the local area. Make sure you have all paperwork and employer needs in order. Find out more about your team, the company, etc. Position yourself for a successful internship by making a plan for success who do you want to talk to, what events do you want to attend, what goals do you have for the summer. Have a clear sense of the employer s expectations. May - July Intern! Establish connections internally within the company and externally with people in your field of interest. Keep open lines of communication with your supervisor and team. Reflect often on how things are going, what you like and dislike, what strengths or challenges have come through in your work, what you d still like to learn. Track your thoughts and progress using a journal or note-taking system to refer back to later. Update your resume.
Individual Action Plan What s your internship plan? July What s your main focus for July? August What s your main focus for August? September What s your main focus for September? October What s your main focus for October?
November What s your main focus for November? December What s your main focus for December? January What s your main focus for January?
February What s your main focus for February? March What s your main focus for March? April What s your main focus for April? May What s your main focus for May?