Featured: Forbes: How To Stand Out And Land A Dream Fall Internship
- Forbes
- Aug 10
- 6 min read
How To Stand Out And Land A Dream Fall Internship
Forbes Councils Member
Aug 04, 2026, 12:15pm EST
Landing a competitive fall internship requires thoughtful preparation long before hiring begins. Starting the process early gives college students more time to gain experience, make professional connections and build the skills employers value most. Those early efforts can help candidates stand out when the most desirable internship opportunities arise.
Here, members of Forbes Coaches Council share practical steps students can take to better position themselves for a fall internship, and why it's best to begin preparing well in advance.
Build Relationships Before Applying
Don’t try to apply your way into a dream internship. The key is to talk to people. Reach out to friends, alumni, managers and professors. Ask them for advice. Tell them what you want. Listen to them, thank them and ask more questions. Use their insights to get creative on your search strategy. Use their feedback to shape your story. You are in an ecosystem of relationships, and through these conversations, your path forward will unfold. It is where the best opportunities live. - Cara Heilmann, International Association of Career Coaches
Take Every Opportunity To Expand Your Network
Connect. Connect. Connect. Don't expect your résumé to do all the talking. Instead, build relationships with and learn from everyone you can who's connected to the path you’re seeking. While keeping your eye on the dream internship, continue to pursue other opportunities to work and get experience. Every chance to work—dream job or not—will teach you something about yourself and where you might lean next! - Susan Parsons, Parsons Consulting
Connect Long Before Hiring Begins
Start building relationships long before you need the internship. Don't wait until applications open. Connect with alumni, attend industry events, ask thoughtful questions and build a strong LinkedIn presence. Your network often opens doors that a résumé alone can't. I tell my students to start at least one semester, ideally a year, before they want the opportunity. Relationships matter. - Kathryn Lancioni, The Gut Punch Podcast
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Attend Events; Reach Out To Professionals In The Field
Networking is essential at every stage of your career. Build a polished LinkedIn profile, reach out to professionals in your field of interest for brief informational conversations, attend career fairs and networking events and ask for introductions. Relationships can often lead to internships and even long-term career opportunities. - Susan Bortone, Noble Talent Group
Start Before You Think You're Ready
Don't wait until applications open. Begin positioning yourself six to 12 months in advance by building relationships, gaining relevant experience, developing your personal brand and growing your skills. Your network, reputation and demonstrated curiosity often differentiate you as much as your résumé. Opportunities are built long before you apply. - Chantée L. Christian, My Best SHIFT
Activate Existing Networks And Social Circles
Your network is the key to success in landing your dream fall internship. Identify your ideal target companies for an internship, and then ensure your friends, family, professors, former co-workers and contacts from community service, sports or hobbies are aware of your internship desires and ask for their help in connecting you to anyone they know who could introduce you to your target companies. Remember the "degrees of separation" rule and ask your network for help! - Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC
Make The Most Of Campus Resources
First, work with the resources at your college or university that are there to help you navigate the intern process. They have great insight and are there to help. Use all your connections: faculty, parents, neighbors and alumni. Ask to interview them for their insights and, in the process, ask them to support your candidacy. How can you be an asset to the company? What can you bring to the internship, and what can you get out of it? Good luck! - Steven Dealph, Dealph Consulting Partners
Gain Real-World Experience Early On
Real-world application is key. Students can apply classwork in real settings as early as possible. Each course can become a practicum, a volunteer role or an adjunct opportunity. Creating a timeline you can realistically navigate months before internship season builds skills, accesses opportunities and creates references. Networking is a contact sport, but real application creates the momentum that lands dream roles. - Dr. Ari McGrew, Tactful Disruption®
Pick One Company Or Industry; Lead With Curiosity
Start now, not next semester. Pick one company or industry you genuinely admire and become fluent in its problems before you ever apply. Reach out directly to someone doing the work you want to do. Ask smart questions, not for favors. Curiosity opens more doors than a perfect résumé ever will. - Lital Marom, LITAL MAROM
Build Workplace Skills Through Experience
Start as early as possible by building experience, not just your résumé. Waiting tables, brewing coffee or working as an office assistant or in customer service teaches communication, resilience, teamwork and problem-solving—skills every employer values. Technical knowledge may get you an interview, but soft skills and a strong work ethic often determine who gets the internship and who succeeds once they're there. - Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
Define Your Career Goals First
Before chasing a dream internship, define what you want that internship to prove or teach. Focusing on one company alone is a concentrated bet. If that opportunity disappears, much of your effort may not transfer. Start by identifying the capabilities and experiences you want to gain, then pursue multiple internships that can deliver the same outcome. - Samuel Rodrigues, Baxtter Corporation
Complete A Meaningful Project First
My advice is to complete one meaningful project before applying. Also, start building relationships before applications open. Informational conversations, thoughtful LinkedIn engagement and relevant projects create familiarity, and familiarity often leads to opportunities. - Desiree’ Stapleton, Goal Accomplishment Made Easy
Show Up Before Applications Open
Find out where your future manager hangs out before they hire you. It might be an industry meetup, a niche conference, an online community or a volunteer event. Start showing up months before internship applications open. Familiarity beats another polished CV. By the time your application arrives, your name shouldn’t feel like it's coming from a stranger. - Alla Adam, Adam Impact Institute
Reach Out Whether Target Orgs Are Hiring Or Not
Begin now by building out a target list of opportunities, a focused network on and off LinkedIn and an in-person networking strategy. You can throw your student CV at open roles, or you can own the process by building meaningful connections with any target organization—regardless of whether they have an opening or not. I have helped many students do this. Some have landed open-competition internships, and others have created them not just out of thin air, but out of relationships. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
Don't Think About 'Getting An Internship,' Start Adding Value
The best strategic move is to stop thinking solely about "getting an internship" and start understanding the company where you want to add value. Research its purpose, culture and challenges to confirm that there is genuine alignment. That preparation should begin several months before applying. - Veronica Angela, CONQUER EDGE, LLC
Build Evidence Of Your Potential
One of the smartest steps students can take is to begin building evidence of their potential before internship applications open. A résumé tells employers what you've done. A portfolio of projects, leadership experiences and meaningful work shows what you're capable of becoming. Just as important, use internships to discover what energizes you, what you're good at and where you create the most value. The best internships don't just build résumés—they build clarity. - Kenneth Mitchell, Blue Ink, LLC
Know Your Strengths Before Networking
The key strategic step to position yourself in landing your dream internship is to first: know thyself. When you have a deep understanding of your top strengths, how you do work differently than everyone else and how your strengths can be leveraged on a team or in an organization, that is the differentiator that you will bring to every networking interaction and interview. By digging deeply into who you are and your purpose, your introspection and self-awareness will shine. - Jackie Boyle, Boyle & Co., LLC
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