Most students try to land internships the same way. They sit on job boards, submit applications, and wait. That works sometimes, but it also puts you in the biggest pool of competition.
This guide is about doing what most students are too scared, lazy, or confused to do: making real contact with real people before the internship process becomes crowded.
Use these three strategies to find hidden opportunities, make stronger first impressions, and build relationships that can lead to internships.
Why the backdoor works
Most internship hires never feel like a fair fight because they aren't one. By the time a posting goes live on a job board, recruiters have usually already talked to people they were referred to, met at an event, or pulled from their inbox. Referrals consistently outperform cold applications across every industry — they get interviews faster, get hired more often, and stay longer.
The three strategies below are how students can quietly insert themselves into that earlier pipeline, before the role ever becomes a competition.
Strategy 1: Walk in
This works best for midsize local companies. Large companies usually have formal recruiting systems. Tiny businesses may not have enough structure to bring on interns.
Midsize companies are the sweet spot because they often have real work that needs to be done, but less competition from thousands of students.
How to find companies
Go on LinkedIn and search for companies near you. Look for companies with around 20 to 200 employees.
Good industries to search:
- Marketing agencies
- Accounting firms
- Law offices
- Real estate companies
- Manufacturing companies
- Healthcare companies
- Software companies
- Consulting firms
- Insurance agencies
- Nonprofits
- Local media companies
Once you find a company, check if they have an office location nearby. Then walk in professionally. You do not need to give a huge pitch. The goal is simple: make a real impression and get the right contact.
What to wear
- Business casual at a minimum — clean button-down or blouse, neat pants or skirt, closed-toe shoes.
- Bring 3 printed copies of your resume in a folder.
- Bring a pen and a small notebook to write down names and emails.
- Silence your phone before walking in.
What to say at the front desk
"Hi, my name is [your name]. I'm a student at [school], and I'm really interested in learning more about internship opportunities here. Is there someone in recruiting or hiring I could briefly speak with, or an email I could send my resume to?"
Even if they do not let you speak with anyone, you will usually get a name, email, or direction. That is still a win. Most students will never show up in person, so this immediately makes you more memorable.
Follow-up email after walking in
Subject: Internship Interest — [Your Name]
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I stopped by the office earlier today to ask about potential internship opportunities.
I'm a student at [School] interested in [industry/field], and I'd love to be considered if your team is taking on interns or could use extra help this semester/summer.
I've attached my resume below. I'd also be happy to send over a few ideas for how I could contribute.
Best,
[Your Name]
Strategy 2: Apply sideways
Most students only message recruiters. That is a mistake. Recruiters are flooded with messages. Instead, find someone who is one level above the intern role.
This could be:
- An analyst
- An associate
- A coordinator
- A staff assistant
- A junior engineer
- A marketing specialist
- A research assistant
- An account manager
These are the people who actually understand the day-to-day work. Your goal is not to beg for an internship immediately. Your goal is to start a normal conversation.
Why this works better than messaging recruiters
- They get a fraction of the inbound messages a recruiter does.
- They were in your seat 1–3 years ago, so they actually remember what it felt like.
- They often have direct influence with the hiring manager when intern season hits.
- A quick "we should talk to this person" from them carries real weight internally.
What to message
Hi [Name],
I'm a student at [School], and I'm interested in eventually working in [field/role].
I saw that you're a [their role] at [company], and I'd love to ask one quick question about how you got started in this kind of work.
Would you be open to a quick 10–15 minute chat sometime this week?
Best,
[Your Name]
Questions to ask on the call
- How did you get into this role?
- What does your day-to-day work actually look like?
- What skills helped you the most when you were starting out?
- What would you do if you were a student trying to break into this field right now?
- Does your team ever take interns or student help?
That last question matters. You are not asking for a job immediately. You are asking whether opportunities exist. That is how you get referred before most applicants even get seen.
Strategy 3: Use your alumni network
Your alumni network is one of the easiest ways to get career conversations. Why? Because alumni already have a reason to respond to you. You went to the same school. That gives you an instant connection.
How to find alumni
Go on LinkedIn and search:
[Your School] + [Job You Want]
Examples:
- "Boston College investment banking analyst"
- "University of Minnesota software engineer"
- "Thomas Aquinas College policy analyst"
- "Ohio State marketing coordinator"
- "Notre Dame congressional staffer"
Find people who have the job, company, or career path you want. Then connect with them.
Other places to find alumni
- Your school's official alumni directory (most schools have one behind a student login).
- LinkedIn's "Alumni" tool on your school's university page — filter by city, company, and role.
- Department-specific alumni newsletters and Slack/Discord communities.
- Greek life, club sports, and student org alumni networks.
- Religious or affinity group alumni chapters in your target city.
Alumni message template
Hi [Name],
I'm a student at [School], and I saw that you also went there.
I'm interested in eventually working in [field], and I noticed you've built a career in that space.
Would you be open to a quick 15-minute coffee chat? I'd love to hear how you got started and what advice you'd give to someone trying to follow a similar path.
Best,
[Your Name]
The right mindset
Do not make it weird by immediately asking for an internship.
- Ask about their career.
- Ask how they got there.
- Ask what they would do differently.
- Ask what advice they have for someone in your position.
Even if that one conversation does not lead directly to an internship, you are building the relationship. And relationships compound.
A coffee chat today can turn into a referral later. A referral later can turn into an interview. An interview can turn into an internship. That is the point.
How to follow up so you stay top of mind
Most students have one good conversation and then disappear. That is why their network never produces an internship. The follow-up is where the real leverage lives.
- Within 24 hours: send a short thank-you message that references one specific thing they said.
- Within 1 week: actually do the thing they recommended (read the book, take the course, check out the company) and send them a one-line update.
- Every 4–8 weeks: send a short "here's what I've been up to" update. Mention a project, class, or new skill. No ask.
- When you're ready to apply: reach back out and mention you saw an opening on their team. Ask if they'd be willing to refer you or pass your resume along.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Asking for a job in the first message. It feels transactional and gets ignored. Ask for advice first.
- Sending the exact same message to 200 people. One detail about why you reached out to them specifically doubles your response rate.
- Showing up to a walk-in unprepared. No resume, sweatpants, no idea what the company does. Treat it like a soft interview.
- Disappearing after one conversation. The first chat is the start of the relationship, not the end.
- Only targeting "dream" companies. A real internship at a midsize firm beats a hypothetical one at FAANG every time.
- Treating LinkedIn as the only channel. Email, in-person, alumni events, and even Instagram DMs (for smaller/creator-led companies) all work.
How to track all this without losing your mind
Once you start running these three strategies in parallel, you will have a lot of moving pieces: walk-ins, follow-up emails, sideways messages, alumni chats, and referrals. Track them.
For each contact, log:
- Name, company, role
- How you met or reached out
- What you talked about
- What they recommended
- Date of last contact
- Next follow-up date
- Whether they're tied to a specific job application
A spreadsheet works. So does Intern Dock's tracker — that's literally what it's built for. The point is that nothing slips, and you always know who to reach out to next.
The 7-day internship challenge
Here is exactly what to do this week.
Day 1
Find 25 midsize companies near you on LinkedIn.
Day 2
Pick the best 10 and find their office locations, websites, and contact emails.
Day 3
Walk into 3 local companies and ask who handles internships or recruiting.
Day 4
Send follow-up emails to everyone you spoke with.
Day 5
Find 20 people one level above the intern role you want.
Day 6
Send 10 "apply sideways" messages.
Day 7
Find 20 alumni in your target field and send 10 coffee chat requests.
By the end of one week, you will have done more direct internship outreach than most students do in an entire semester. That is how you create your own luck.