How to stand out when applying to an internship

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It’s that time of year again when our recruiters are in full-force looking for the sharpest minds to join our dynamic teams.

Let’s be frank. It’s tough to stand out these days when you’re one of hundreds who are applying to the same role. We feel your pain—we’ve all been there. With that said, let’s jump right to business.

These are the top attributes our university recruiters are looking for in your application:

Luke Korthuis
University Talent Lead, SAP Ariba, Concur & SAP Fieldglass

• Philanthropic experience


• Involved in business or technology fraternities (Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Kappa Psi, Society of Black Engineers, Women in Technology, etc.)


• Campus involvement—sorority/fraternity, intramural sports, clubs or hackathons


• Have held part-time jobs throughout school, even if it’s not related to the degree being studied


• Strong academic achievements

Chris Kiegler
University Recruiter

• Interesting facts and involvement in extracurricular activities


• Showcasing accomplishments, projects and a sample portfolio


• Including your areas of interest and providing examples of what you’d like to work on

Robin Kusnick
SAP Early Talent Acquisition Recruiter

• Projects are more important to me than a list of courses as it shows the application of the classroom learning and can lead to probing questions around teamwork.


• Volunteerism and community Involvement show alignment with SAP’s values to improve people’s lives by giving back to the communities we work in.


• Leadership positions held in extracurricular activities show me the potential around collaboration, ability to influence and inspire, and drive results.


• Athletics – team player, disciplined, time management and multitasker, captain is even better.

Pedram Farjad
University Recruiter

• Involvement, time spent, and passions outside of classes


• Being honest about expectations, wants and needs with an internship

Top Takeaways:  

• Focus on your story. Show us what you’re passionate about, not through your studies but by your day-to-day projects and activities.


• Your perfect GPA is impressive, but it doesn’t showcase your personality and soft skills. Make sure you’re portraying the most holistic version of yourself.

Think you got what it takes? We're Hiring for 2018 Internships Worldwide!

View open internships here.

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