Landing a high-quality internship in the Web Services Industry can be challenging. While the modern tragedy of needing a job to get experience, but needing experience to land a job is a hard obstacle to overcome, there are a number of value-added skillsets one can develop to improve your chances of landing the internship you desire.
How are you going to get your no-real-world web services experience foot in the door? Will online certifications help if you don’t have the preferred work experience? Oftentimes, yes! There are many online tools that you can use to advance your career – even without professional experience.
In this day and age, being proactive and serious about your career is very important to highlight in any job that you apply for. How can you build your portfolio? Here are some tips to help you stand out in future internship opportunities:
Networking/Finding a Mentor
Networking is going to be your new best friend as a young professional. While you may prefer online networking tools such as LinkedIn, your professional network of real-world relationships can be more effective in landing you a job. Many people often shrink back at the idea of having to go out and meet people and make connections in order to get the job they want in the career path they want. A lot of us tend to think our skills should speak for themselves. Some believe you should be able to go and get a job where you can show your degree and portfolio without having to go and meet people. However, that’s what a lot of people are missing – connections go two ways.
Not sure where to start? Reach out to family or friends and let them know you’re interested in career opportunities in a desired field and you are trying to boost your resume by doing more research or training at home. They may have the perfect person you can connect with to suggest more training, act as a reference, or help find other projects to expand your skillset.
Even if you don’t have a broad network or many contacts, proactively finding people in your desired field and asking for advice or a meeting is so beneficial. Build those relationships with a focus on your mutual interests, then remember to stay in contact with them!
Building Your Technical Skills
There are many roles you can take on in the web services industry, and they are still growing and expanding! Some areas within the industry include, but are not limited to – Copywriter, Digital Marketing Strategist, Graphic Designer, Web Developer and Project Manager. Here are a few tips to build your technical skillset in these areas, as well as soft skills that you will benefit from.
Content Writing Positions
To be a great copywriter, you need to write well, but this isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Mastering grammar, English rules, punctuation, spelling, adjectives and a vast vocabulary to pull from when you write is extremely important. However, that’s just the basics; knowing how to incorporate Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as well as user experience and web content best practices will help set you apart.
To build a foundation and improve your skillset in this area, start with articles like Moz Beginner’s Guide to SEO or Search Engine Journal’s Introduction to SEO Basics. Both provide great tools and suggestions that are laid out in chapters to build your understanding of SEO.
In copy and content Writing, diligence is one of the most important soft skills to have. Being careful, energetic and persistent in asking the right questions will help you become a better writer and will showcase that you are ready to take on any project.
Digital Marketing Positions
The digital industry is vast, making it extra difficult for newcomers to navigate as strategies, best practices, and algorithms are always changing. You need to keep yourself well-versed in many media aspects including SEO, video, social media, blog/newsletter writing and data analytics. The list could go on and on, so make sure you are always staying up-to-date on the latest trends.
Want to set yourself apart? Try out Google Analytics for Beginners or Udemy.
As a Digital Marketer, your willingness to listen, learn and ability to adapt will help you grow as a professional. There is a chance that you’ll need to create additional content, always be prepared to expect the unexpected.
Graphic & Web Design Positions
Communicating with beautiful visuals in today’s world can sometimes involve serious computer software experience (Adobe Creative Suite) and a creative mind. However, this area is easy to learn on your own so you at least understand the basics. Building your skills by signing up for courses, playing around with Canva or Adobe Creative Suite will be very helpful in the long-run.
Graphic Designers often receive criticism for their work. Sometimes clients may have strong opinions on how things should look. It’s a designer’s job to bring these visions to life. The ability to take criticism is an important skill, but you need to make sure you are also confident in defending your designs and finding a happy medium between client wants and design best practices.
Development Positions
There are so many things to wrap your mind around when it comes to starting out in programming, but you’ve got to start somewhere. When there’s so much to learn, where should you begin? Many professional web developers are actually self-taught. Ensure you know the basics of the three web markup languages: HTML, CSS and Javascript. Other areas to further your knowledge can be Photoshop, WordPress, FTP applications like Filezilla, Adobe XD and Dreamweaver.
Ultimately, the best way to sharpen your programming skills is by applying your knowledge to build coding projects. Try building practice sites in WordPress and while you’re at it, make your own website to showcase all your projects you have made!
As a developer, you are the person that many look to to problem solve and find creative solutions. Sometimes you may not have all the answers and that’s normal! Possessing an analytical and curious mind will help you conduct research to find the solutions to your problems. Although this might take awhile, make sure you also have the ability to remain patient and stay organized.
Project Management
There isn’t exactly a straightforward way to become a project manager or develop the skills needed for such a position. If you are an organized person in your day-to-day life, you may already possess some of the skills a good project manager needs. Think about how much you are organizing and managing in your own life. Being able to understand workflow, assigning tasks and taking responsibility isn’t always easy. There are project management courses, certifications, and platforms that you can use to build your skills formally.
Creating an inclusive and trusting environment in your team is very important. Your peers need to be able to look to you for anything.
Create a Portfolio of Work
Now that you have a few ideas about how to jumpstart your future career, take these tips and apply them to your creative portfolio. A creative portfolio is something that you will always have if you decide this is the industry you want to work in. Creative portfolios can be used to display your work by building your own website, social media page or resume that showcases all of your new abilities! Creative portfolios can be used to:
- Apply to visual arts programs such as colleges and universities, which typically require a creative portfolio during the application process
- Apply for jobs for companies to review to make sure the applicant’s work aligns with the company’s values and goals
- Present work to potential clients or partners who want to see what you have done in the past
Show Determination
It may take a few rounds of interviewing at different agencies to land your first internship in your desired field. Don’t give up if you get rejected a few times or fail to land interviews! Commit to your goal and let the rejections you’ve had in the past drive you to work even harder and adapt your skillset.
While you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity, stay on top of the latest trends as the industry is ever-evolving. Continue to sharpen your skills and take any opportunity you may get to enhance your skillset. The more you immerse yourself, the closer you’ll be to landing your future perfect job.
Help Others
The key to success is treating it as a series of milestones rather than one enormous task that wasn’t accomplished. You learn from your mistakes and each opportunity that comes your way. If you make a little bit of progress every day, you’ll be there before you know it!
When you do get that dream internship or job, don’t forget to give back. Share your experiences and extend referrals, and maybe you’ll get another opportunity to network with someone else by sharing your wealth of knowledge.
Webspec’s Summer Internship Program
The above was written by our content writing intern on Webspec’s summer intern team. Applications for our next internship program (Summer 2022) will open in February, but we are always accepting information from interested applicants! Connect with our team here.
