Once you've explored your options, you'll begin contacting potential LINK mentors to see if that placement is a good fit--both for you and for them. Generally speaking, it's best to email or call first, rather than stopping in without an appointment. Remember, some folks will be familiar with Animas High School's LINK program, and some will not be, so it's wise to provide a brief description of how our internship program works.
Be professional! Use "Mr." or "Mrs./Ms.," check your spelling and grammar and err on the side of being formal. Send a draft of your email to Zoë if you'd like a second set of eyes on it--she's happy to give you feedback!
What to include in your first phone call or email:
Ask if you can come visit the business or organization, and offer to come in for an interview. Seeing the physical location and meeting your potential mentor face-to-face will give you a much better idea of whether this is the internship for you. In your follow-up, ask great questions:
Remember, you want to find an internship that you'll be excited to attend every day. Find the mentor and the placement that inspire you!
Be professional! Use "Mr." or "Mrs./Ms.," check your spelling and grammar and err on the side of being formal. Send a draft of your email to Zoë if you'd like a second set of eyes on it--she's happy to give you feedback!
What to include in your first phone call or email:
- Who you are
- That you're interested in exploring the possibility of completing an internship with that business or organization next spring
- That you're a junior at Animas High School, a public school of choice in Durango that has a college-prep curriculum using project-based learning
- That LINK internships provide students with an intensive experiences--it's three weeks long, takes place in March, and interns are expected to work 30-40 hours a week--provide a link to the "For Mentors" page of the LINK website, so your prospective mentor can learn more about the program expectations
- Why you're specifically interested in this business/organization--how their work fits with your interests, passions, college plans and career goals, as well as what you admire or like about the specific work they do
- What you hope to learn while interning there
- Ways that you think you can contribute to the success of that business or organization--why they might be particularly interested in having you as an intern (this is where you'll help them understand that you plan to work hard and do whatever they need you to do)
- Be clear that your goal is to have your internship placement and mentor confirmed by mid-December
- Thank them for their time and ask what your next steps should be--let them know that you would love to come visit their workplace
- Attach your resume
Ask if you can come visit the business or organization, and offer to come in for an interview. Seeing the physical location and meeting your potential mentor face-to-face will give you a much better idea of whether this is the internship for you. In your follow-up, ask great questions:
- What would my work look like on a daily basis?
- What are the skills or experience you're hoping for in an intern?
- What are your expectations for an intern?
- What specific projects, events or activities might be happening in March that I could help with? Do you have ideas for an independent project I could complete during my internship that would be valuable to your business or organization?
Remember, you want to find an internship that you'll be excited to attend every day. Find the mentor and the placement that inspire you!