How to find an internship in Seattle

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February 16, 2011

How to find an internship in Seattle

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By Kristen Fife
NWjobs

Q: I am completing the first year in an M.B.A. program with a supply chain concentration. I graduated with an M.S. in electrical engineering in 2009. I’m looking for a potential internship next summer in the Seattle area where I could contribute both my engineering and business skills. Where would I look?
-MK, Spokane

Kristen says: It’s great that you are getting a jump on finding an internship. If you haven’t already done so, check with your career center to see who has hired M.B.A. interns before. It’s helpful to draw up a list of companies in the area that have the combination of high tech and supply chain management you are looking for. I would recommend telecom companies such as T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless, as well as companies that have retail distribution needs such as Amazon.com, Real Networks and Nordstrom. Also check Boeing, Fluke and some of the other aerospace vendors in the area. You can use job-search sites to run searches on keywords such as “supply chain” to find out who hires in your targeted discipline, as well as using the “entry level” experience filter.

LinkedIn is a professional social networking site that allows you to connect with professionals in many industries. You can use it to find corporate campus recruiters who target students as prospective interns or entry-level employees for their companies. To find them, go to the Advanced People Search and type "Campus recruiter" into the "Title" field. Narrow your results by location, and choose the "current" dropdown to get results for those who currently hold the title.

Other helpful sources include Lauren Berger, the "Intern Queen;" InternMatch and Vault.com's internship board. I also see a lot of internship opportunities on Twitter; set up a hash tag search for #internship.

You can also approach a smaller company to try structuring your own internship, keeping in mind that many of these internships are unpaid. To do this, you must satisfy U.S. Department of Labor guidelines for unpaid internships.

Internships are extremely valuable in today’s competitive market, and your early efforts will help you immensely when you graduate.