Play to your strengths: Find an internship that fits and fuels your growth

Finding the perfect internship starts with understanding what makes you unique.

Knowing your personal and professional strengths and recognising areas where you can grow will help you find internship opportunities where you can truly excel.

1. Reflect on your strengths

Take a moment to think about what you are great at and how you work best. Are you a natural leader? Do you stay calm in stressful situations? Are you great at problem-solving? Recognising these strengths can help you use these skills every day in your internship.

Example You love organising events, meeting new people and spending hours building vision boards thinking through every detail of an event experience. An internship in an event planning company can be an excellent fit for your marketing degree.

Action Reflect on your top 5 strengths and write them down. Identify how they can be applied to an internship to target roles that align with your abilities.

2. Identify your areas for growth

It is also important to consider areas where you can improve. What do you try to avoid? What sends you into a state of panic?

Example Maybe public speaking isn’t your thing, or perhaps you struggle with tasks that require attention to detail. Knowing these can help you assess what internships might not be a good match for you.

Action Think about areas that are challenging for you and areas you want to improve. Write them down.

Pro Tip: Use free tools to know yourself better

Explore these free tools and gain more insights into your strengths, weaknesses and recommended career paths. Remember, these tools offer a snapshot of who you are today and everyone evolves over time.

• 16 Personalities Discover your personality traits and how they align with various career paths.
• HIGH5 Test Identify your top strengths and see how they apply to professional settings.
• Holland Code (RIASEC) Career Test Find out which career types match your interests.
• CareerExplorer Get a comprehensive view of your strengths, weaknesses and ideal career paths.

3. Use your insights to refine your internship search

Review your insights and focus on internships that build on your strengths and help you grow toward your professional goals.

Target your search Focus your internship search on organisations and opportunities that align with your strengths and professional goals.

Customise your applications Tailor your resume and cover letters to highlight your strengths, including relevant work and school experiences that demonstrate them.

Rock your interviews Confidently discuss your strengths in interviews and be upfront about your weaknesses, showing maturity and your willingness to grow.