Soliant is currently hiring spring and summer interns in our San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia offices. We are offering internships in FileMaker, Salesforce and PHP/web, and will teach you the basic skills in one of these exciting software development areas.
Soliant likes to hire interns for several reasons:
- We like to give back to the communities we work in by teaching interns marketable skills
- We enjoy learning about the people in our local areas, and getting to know the up and coming talent around us
- Once interns are proficient in their skill set, we get the opportunity to utilize their skills on projects, giving our interns valuable real-life job experience
So, what does it take to be a good intern at Soliant, or anywhere? As a Managing Director at Soliant, I’ve conducted plenty of interviews with prospective interns as well as trained many successful interns who have continued on to be hired into full time positions. Here are my:
10 Tips for a Successful Internship
- Follow up — Sent your resume to a company? If you haven’t heard back, understand that it’s not most people’s full-time job to do hiring – make sure people remember you by calling and emailing the person in charge of hiring every one to two weeks.
- No typos! — Make sure your resume doesn’t have any typos. This is an automatic fail at most companies, and shows that you lack attention to detail. Have lots of people read your resume and cover letter, this will catch typos and make it as strong as it can be.
- Be enthusiastic — Most companies understand that you may not have much job experience. This means that you are selling your personality and excitement for the company. Tell them why you’re interested in them. Don’t be shy to love what they love – let them know.
- Read their website — Companies love when you reference specifics about them in your cover letter or interview. Read their website and remember interesting details and things that interest you about the company.
- Show up on time — For the interview, and for the job. If you are lucky enough to get hired, show that you care about the opportunity you’re being given by showing up on time to it. It shows that you care, and people will notice.
- Ask questions — Once you’re hired, the folks at the company understand that you’re brand new to this. Ask questions, and be curious about what you’re learning. It shows that you are engaged in the learning process and interested in what you’re learning.
- Offer to help — Look for opportunities and ways to be helpful around the office. This may not be directly related to what you’re learning, but people will notice and appreciate it. From putting paper in the copier to filling the coffee beans, all the way up to asking your boss if you can help on that cool new project you heard people talking about. Just ask, and be helpful.
- Dress appropriately for the particular company — Some companies are more formal than others; a lot of startups are very casual. Find out before you start what’s considered appropriate attire for that office. It shows you are observant and care.
- Make connections — This is your opportunity to create relationships with people within that industry. These are valuable contacts that you can ask for references or future hiring decisions down the line. Ask people to go for lunch, coffee, ask for advice, and get to know people all across the company. You never know where your next opportunity will come from.
- Have fun — You are getting the chance to learn a marketable skill from a real company; enjoy it! You may be balancing a lot between classes, the internship, personal obligations, etc., but enjoy the experience and get as much out of it as you can. You’ll learn more if you’re enjoying yourself!
