By Gift Solomon

Internships have come to stay in the corporate world today. It is not surprising that the job market has become increasingly competitive and there are a lot of professionally qualifying boxes to tick before landing a role in that dream firm, company or corporation. This reality voices the importance of internships for young professionals irrespective of choice of industry.

In simple terms, internships refer to a defined learning period provided by an organization, firm, company or corporation wherein participants are given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience on the work, culture and corporate environment of that organization. The experiences garnered are invaluable and given the limited roles available, the importance of the knowledge acquired cannot be overemphasized.

Securing internships in top law firms can seem like rocket science but with the help of these few tips gained from my personal experiences, you should be able to land an internship role at a top tier firm.

1. Application Requirements (CVs and Cover Letters):

Your internship application is made through a CV together with a cover letter. Your CV should not be more than two pages detailing your background, educational qualifications (so far), work experience (if any), volunteering experience and any extra skills. On the other hand, your cover letter takes the form of an essay on why you are the perfect fit for the firm.

Your cover letter is a statement on the purpose of your application and should be all encompassing. This should be written in a concise but convincing manner. Additionally, your CV must also meet the ATS (Application Tracking System Software) standard even though this is mostly required for full employment.

2. Application Procedure (How to apply):

Internships or generally, job applications take the form of cold mail, that is, sending in your CV and cover letter to the relevant email address of the choice firm. Your application should follow these steps having gotten the necessary email address – write out the subject of the application (APPLICATION FOR A GRADUATE INTERSNSHIP ROLE AT ABC FIRM or APPLICATION FOR AN INTERNSHIP ROLE AT ABC FIRM), the body of your mail should summarize your application or basically what you have on your cover letter and finally attach a PDF copy of both your CV and cover letter before sending the mail.

3. Early Application:

The earlier your application gets to the firm, the higher your chances of landing the internship. Understand that these firms receive a swarm of applications which they must filter through. Early applications allows you a fighting chance among the numerous applications sent over the year. It is recommended that you submit your application between January and March. This gives you the opportunity to track the progress of your application down to when you finally secure the role.

4. Things to Note:

• It is vital to be clear about the precise month you would like to run the internship program.
• To aid in the follow-up of your application, it is advisable to get acquainted with a couple of the lawyers at the firm you are applying to.
• Interns are not selected based on their respective universities. Internships are secured purely on merit.
• Ensure you are adequately informed of the firm you are considering applying to; firms prefer candidates who are knowledgeable about their work and culture.
• Your cover letter shows how acquainted you are with the firm.
• Ensure to check your mail regularly including your spam.

Congratulations and see you at the top!