The success of an internship within a company, which represents both an enthralling period of discovery and also a phase of intensive work, depends on careful preparation. Although within the framework of the obligatory internship during the SUPINFO course the minimum duration is imposed by the company (3 months), it is recommended to take time to think about the contents of the internship.
How to remain Zen
Prepare your end of year internship at SUPINFO.
For this reason, SUPINFO insists on the fact that one should not confuse study internships and "odd job" ("working" internships). In fact, the company which accepts the intern, from SUPINFO Year 1 onwards, must propose objectives and goals which among other things will allow the student to apply his knowledge and to practise the lessons learned at the school. The internship will also give the student a chance to acquire true professional experience which will enhance his CV and give him the edge in the labour market, once he has obtained his diploma.
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Preparation for the internship comprises several simple stages :
- Analysis of experience
- Analysis of expectations and motivation
- Creation of a CV
- Writing of a covering letter |
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Analysis of experience
Many recruiters ask a difficult question during the initial interview to obtain an internship. This question is often of the type: “Tell me a bit about yourself…” In order not to be put off by this type of questioning and to give the company the best image of the school and of yourself, it is important that a SUPINFO student knows himself so that he can reply properly to this question. Ask yourself these simple questions and note down the answers on a sheet of paper: What can I do? What have I already done? What experience do I have?
If you are in Year 1 of SUPINFO you may not have any real professional experience or have done an internship. However you can mention your own personal experience. Think of times when you have been able to reveal your personality, prove know how or achievements in any field. Highlight your professional certifications within the framework of your studies at SUPINFO. Start to take your first certifications from Year 1. No matter what stage you are at, make a note of all the times you were proud of yourself and your work. Reflect on your good points, those you will bring to the fore during your interview. At the same time do not forget to list the weaknesses which need to be “worked on” to improve yourself. To make things easier, ask your fellow students, family or friends how they perceive you and your experience.
Do not be afraid of the sincere opinion of others even if this does not correspond to your perception of yourself. Remember that you will be dealing with a recruiter who does not know you. It is better to be prepared. The simple fact of asking yourself the above questions will enable you to get to know yourself better. |
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Analysis of expectations and motivation
Although you may not necessarily know what type of internship you want, in which sector or company, ask yourself which type of structure would increase your motivation to carry out your internship successfully.
This phase of analysis is very important because choosing an internship where you feel at ease will increase your effectiveness and thus meet your expectations. If you are passionate about UNIX for example and want to increase your knowledge by working with it, note this down. Do not forget to also write down things not necessarily linked to technology such as working in a team, organising, speaking, creating … etc.
Do not forget to mention objectives which could allow you to improve certain aspects of your character. For example if your family find you too reserved and you want to be less shy, note it down. If during the last exercise on the analysis of experience it was revealed that you are often stubborn and you wish to be more tolerant and open, note it down too.
If you constantly seek signs of recognition, to be noticed or considered, put it down. In fact note everything that you think will meet your expectations and increase your motivation significantly.
Once you have made a list of your expectations and motivation, try to put it in order of priority. What would you put first? This will enable you to pinpoint what motivates you. But accept the idea that what motivates you tomorrow may be very different from that which motivates you today.
Once you have finished these analytical exercises you will be better able to reply to a question such as “Tell me about yourself.” You can practise immediately by “role playing” with your classmates, family or friends.
Don’t forget, practice is very important so that you feel more and more at ease and make the best impression at your first interview. |
The creation of a CV to obtain an internship
On its website, the L’Oreal Group is very clear as to the company’s perception of internship: "Internees provide us with an opportunity to detect new potential and the individual with a chance to prove himself. If we make stringent demands concerning the quality of those selected, it is because an internship is not considered to be a brief passage through the company but maybe the first step towards a promising career within the group". This means that the SUPINFO student’s CV, which is one of the recruiter’s main selection tools, must be as "professional" when seeking an internship as when applying for a job. Here is some advice for creating a good CV:
Firstly, for those with little experience, do not forget that you can always mention the different « working » internships you have done in the past, summer jobs, anything which proved you were part of the world of employment and companies will help to prove you are capable of working in a professional environment.
To sum up, there are three types of CV: thematic, chronological or in reverse order. Today recruiters are more concerned with what you have done recently. Thus the reverse order CV is the one most used. It is also the one we at SUPINFO recommend for finding an internship.
The sections of a CV
VYour CV can be divided into several sections. According to age and experience, there should be at least six: personal details, education, professional experience, one section for language skills and IT skills and finally one giving general interests.
The "personal details" section is fairly simple. It consists of your first name and surname given at the top left hand of your CV followed by your address, telephone number and e-mail. Avoid putting your personal web page especially if there are pictures of family skiing holidays on it! A little further down you can give your marital status (for example single but this is not obligatory for an internship) immediately followed by your date of birth with your age in brackets (stating your age means the recruiter does not have to work it out from your date of birth) then mention if you hold a driving licence.
Just after your personal details, in the middle of your CV, it is useful to state the post which interests you, your objectives, the sector in which you wish to do your internship and its duration. A formula of the type: “OBJECT: 3 month internship in UNIX Administration systems” is a plus on a CV as it makes the recruiter aware of your suitability for the position. It is also imperative always to personalise this part of the CV according to the company you have targeted and even directly according to the internship offer made by this company if applicable.
The "education" section usually follows immediately after the « personal details » section. Here it is useful to mention what you have studied over the last three years, starting with the most recent. The list should therefore be in reverse chronological order (hence the type of CV). If you have obtained diplomas or certificates since your science baccalaureat, mention them. Give marks obtained if applicable. The list should indicate the year or years of study, followed by a description of the course and then the establishment at which it was undertaken. An example would be as follows: “2003-2004: second year of preparatory cycle at SUPINFO, the international institute of information technology (ESI)” Remember that the school is 40 years old and well known to many recruiters. However some know it as ESI rather than SUPINFO and some recognise it under its old name “the Paris Academy of Computer Science”. When mentioning the school in a CV it is always better to use all three names for it. You can also give the school’s website address which will enable employers to have a quick overview of your training and get up to date information on the school which will enhance your profile.
The following gives all necessary information in this section: "SUPINFO - Ecole Supérieure d'Informatique (ESI) http://www.supinfo.com/" . If you write your CV in English for an internship abroad, also give the international name of the school as it gives recruiters valuable information about the type of course you are following. "Paris Academy of Computer Science" and "Graduate School of Computer Science established 1965, State-accredited since 1972"
The “professional experience” section should include all your previous internships, experience, jobs, and evidence of what you have done within a company … etc. Everything that has put you in touch with companies or organisations (associations, administration … etc) within the framework of a professional activity in which you had responsibilities should be mentioned. Give dates, the name of the company and its field of activity followed by your role as an intern and avoid gaps in the CV (periods of inactivity).
In this section a good example would be as follows: "June-July 1999 : Internship at the FORMATEL (SSII) technical support centre - Analysis of breakdowns and solutions to problems affecting international clients".
The "Languages" section is very important. Most companies appreciate linguistic abilities in interns and some internships even require them. In this section indicate your level of English by giving your TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication) scores even old ones. Confirm if you have already undertaken study trips or internships abroad. Emphasise your international SUPINFO experience.
The "knowledge of information technology" section is, of course, the one in which you should give the most information. Everyone is supposed to know the software commonly used in offices but put all those you are familiar with including Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint. Include EVERYTHING you are familiar with but be truthful! Avoid saying you are an expert in Linux if you barely know how to use it.
Give your experience by subject : office systems, networks, SGBD, languages .. etc. This will enable the recruiter to match your skills to the sector he is concerned with. Mention what you have done in relation to your skills but be realistic and don’t put too much which may give the impression that you are bluffing which would be a shame. Avoid being pretentious and adapt this section to the type of internship and its content.
Finally, the "interests" section is meant to provide the recruiter with clues about your personality. This section usually contains a list of hobbies of no great interest and this is a pity. Remember that this part should “hook” the recruiter. List what you like doing in your spare time but avoid the temptation of mentioning IT again here even if it’s the case. Rather awaken the recruiter’s curiosity by telling him the type of books, music or films that you like, the sports you do etc … Remember that this section may lead to an interesting discussion during your interview.
Presentation of the CV
In general your CV should fit onto one page. Avoid being too concise. It should be well formatted and business-like on a white sheet of A4 paper. Those of a creative nature should avoid “exotic” fonts and keep to the same one throughout the CV or use no more than two different ones. Simple ones such as Times and Helvetica are the best. Vary the size of the characters to highlight points rather than too frequent use of bold, italics or underlining.
One last piece of advice:
Reread your CV and ask others to read it too. Eradicate spelling mistakes (yes yes look again there are still some;) Add spaces after commas and full stops and never before them! Do not put a capital letter after a colon etc. In short send your CV to Olivier COMES (email to olivier.comes@supinfo.com). ). If you have followed the instructions given here changes should only be minor ones.
Covering letter when seeking an internship
Few students are aware that the covering letter is almost a pre-interview selection tool. Thus it is very important that it should not merely be sent with the CV as is often the case. On the contrary it should complement the CV and is a more direct way of holding the recruiter’s attention. The covering letter should ALWAYS be personalised according to the internship sought. At SUPINFO we advise you to include in your covering letter your “operational” side.
Begin with a brief reminder of the training you have undertaken at SUPINFO. Make the value of your studies stand out by mentioning the school’s reputation, how long it has been established and the fact that it is recognised by the French state. Highlight the contents of your studies. Make clear your passionate interest for the engineering career that you are preparing for at SUPINFO which will then lead naturally to mentioning the interest you have for the internship in question. Be sincere. Your letter should be simple and clear but detailed enough to draw attention to your application.
The cherry on the cake: If you are a good SUPINFO student-engineer you can obtain a letter of recommendation from the school Administration to give to the recruiter in order to gain an exceptional internship. Make enquiries at the school as this letter can make a big difference as far as your application and credibility are concerned during the selection interview.