In honor of Giving Tuesday (in addition to doing some microloans on Kiva), I prepared this little helpful reference sheet for HS Seniors looking to land a great internship/capstone/mentor/etc. I’m so honored by the frequent emails I get from high school juniors and seniors, looking to intern with me, or have as a mentor. It takes courage to reach out to someone and ask them to share their expertise. Unfortunately, I have to turn almost all of them down, and here is why:
- Internships are a gift you give to the student. They are 95% give, and only 5% take (for the business owner) Meaning, most of the time you spend with your intern/mentee/apprentice is a gift from you and your business. They are not free labor and should never be viewed as such. Indeed, in 2010, we had “new” Federal rules about what counts as an internship.
- I believe deeply in giving, and I also believe deeply in life balance. (Which is why I take every December off, to focus on my family and friends and enjoy the holidays!) So, while I love mentoring and donating my time/money/expertise, I already have commitments in those areas that I need to and want to honor.
- Even if I did have the time, most emails I receive don’t provide nearly enough information for me to know what is being asked of me. It feels awkward to ask for more info, and then turn them down.
An 8-Step Recipe for Finding an Internship, Mentor, or Apprenticeship
- The first sentence talks about you and something unique about you.
“My name is Sally, I’m 17 years old, and I have visited all 50 US states.”2. Tell them why you are writing to them. Give them sincere praise that makes it clear that you know what they are about or what the focus on. A good way to do this is your general passion, something you generally like about their work, and then something specific.
“I love photography, and especially love the way you use natural setting and natural light to capture your subject’s true personality. I especially love that shoot you did with the two dogs in the park.”3. Write a sentence that establishes your “ask” – the general thing you are asking them for.
“I attend XYX Highschool and need to do an internship in my chosen profession, photography.”4. Tell them why you are so interested.
“I have always found photography to be magical, the way you can freeze a moment in time and relive it forever.”5. What you specifically hope to gain from the internship with them.
“I hope to learn about the art of capturing family portraits, and also the business end of things on how to run a profitable photography studio.”6. Very clearly state what they are getting themselves into. Break it down to the things they can do in the course of their own business, the things they would need to do that would take them away from their business and the total commitment. Be sure to specify any time window constraints.
“The total commitment is 20 hours total over 4 weeks, about 5 hours a week. I need to do the work between 2-5 pm on Monday and Fridays. Most of that time would be spent with me watching and asking questions while you work. About 5 hours would be outside of your business hours, where you attend a 2 hour training at my school and fill out a post-internship form.”7. Here is the part where you can really sell yourself – talk about what they would get out of it, besides helping you. This establishes that you are interested in giving as well as receiving.
“I am great with websites and can help you write and post blog entries”, or “I am happy to help with all aspects of your business, from organizing gear to even sweeping the studio.”8. Close with a commitment and a request for a phone chat.
“I promise you that I will be responsive, responsible and will help in any way I can. I will also very much appreciate your sharing your knowledge. Can we chat on the phone discuss this further? You can reach me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.”Hope that helps! Feel free to share this with the high school students, and your fellow parents of high school students. And, click on the image below to go to Kiva.org, and do your own microloan. Happy Giving Tuesday, ya’ll!
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