Finding the Right Opportunity

Summer internships are one of the BEST ways to get experience, learn what you want to do for work, and meet professionals in your field. A lot of people say “you can’t find a good internship with no experience,” but that’s not true. The key is knowing where to look and how to present yourself.

When I first started applying to internships (by cold-calling which I’ll go in more depth about later) I had no formal work experience. I found my first bit of experience through volunteering, and my first real opportunity came through a volunteering office in Brooklyn, where I helped with filing documents, fixing their Excel sheets, and some other random tasks. It wasn’t a big-name internship, but it taught me how professional environments work, how to communicate with adults, and how to take initiative when no one tells you what to do.

The main thing is, this volunteering position was the PERFECT thing for my resume (and the recommendation that came with it). From this experience, I gained a foundation and got a longer-term internship.

So? How do I land my first internship without experience?

Who to Contact (build a simple target list)

Start with 5–15 leads so rejection from a few doesn’t matter. Look for community centers, nonprofits, or local offices that need help over the summer. Even without a resume, chances are you can get a spot with enough time.

Types of places you should target:

• City Council or NY State Assembly district offices

• Local nonprofits that do health, environment, or education

• After-school programs and summer camps that need tutors or coaches

• Community centers, libraries, churches, food banks

• Hospital volunteer services, blood drive organizers, Red Cross

How to Find the Right Contact in 5 minutes:

Use Google! Literally search up “nonprofits near me,” or “hospital volunteering jobs.”

If there is only a main number, call and ask:

“Hi, I am a high school student looking to volunteer over the summer. Who should I email about internships or volunteering?”

Sometimes, if you call the place, they might just do a mini interview and skip the email altogether. Once you have a small list, you can move onto the next step.

Also, if this is a summer internship, APPLY EARLY. You can’t expect places to be taking volunteers in July when they already have a lot of volunteers and little space in their office.

Prep Kit (make this once)

There are two main ways to contact people about internships like I mentioned before: emails and cold-calls. Emails are completely different from phone calls when it comes to how you have to present yourself.

For emails:

You should have an email template. Mine is below, so if you want to fill in the blanks and use it, go for it.

Hi [Name],

My name is [name here] and I am a [grade] at Tottenville High School. I am interested in [their field or mission, do some research about what they do] and I’d really like to help in any way I can over the summer. I can help with [list anything you are good at, think!]. I am really reliable and can commit weekly hours.

I attached my resume below. If there’s a quick time to talk I would really like to learn how I can help!

Thank you,

[first name only]

[email] | [phone #]

For calls:

Speak like you would normally, just slightly more professional.

You could start with a short intro:

• Hi, my name is Alan, I’m wondering if you guys have a volunteering program over the summer. I’m really interesting in [one thing they do] 

If they say no, don’t hang up yet. They could potentially still find it helpful to have someone volunteer a few hours a week to help with basic tasks, just ask.

If they say yes, ask them who you can talk to or email about that, once you say the initial starting script, make it simple. Talk to them like normal, no one likes speaking to a robot.

What if I’m scared to call?

When I was helping my friend find a place to volunteer he actually said this, but it makes sense. I had him practice with me and made it REALLY difficult for him by being as mean as possible to prepare him.

If you can do this with someone that would be the perfect thing. If not, talk to yourself (seriously), and do these two things:

1. Write your intro script in big font. Read it a few times.

2. If your voice shakes, say, “Sorry, I'm a little nervous.” People are kind when you are honest.

How to do all of this in one week

When I was looking for a place to volunteer, I gave myself a one-week timer.

• Day 1: I made my resume (use our resume guide), made an email signature, and made a blank Google Doc titled “Potential places to volunteer.”

• Day 2: I found 15 leads and wrote 1–2 sentences about each.

• Day 3: I either called or emailed the places based on which was more available, it was about a 50/50 split.

Final Notes

This part is specifically for when you get hired, and some things to think about:

• Don’t worry if it’s unpaid, the experience is what matters.

• Treat it like a job: show up on time, ask questions, and take initiative.

• Track every task you do (filing, organizing, Excel, communication) for later.

By the end of it, you can start adding onto your resume!

That’s it, it’s actually really easy. You might get rejected a few times, but most people are super nice about it!