So, you’re at the point where you are actively looking for an internship and you feel like you have applied to all the ones that you would desire to be a part of.
We all know that the internship application process is difficult and pretty tedious. But then, once you have got to the end of the application process you might find yourself wondering… What comes next?
Ah, that’s right. Now it’s all about playing the waiting game. There is nothing more than you can do and you just have to wait to hear back from the employer as to whether or not you have been accepted as part of their internship program.
You might be here because you are not sure about how long you should have to wait for any kind of response, or you might be here because you are not sure how you should be handling this waiting period.
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The Dreaded Waiting Period
If you are in the process of submitting an application for an internship, then you will have experienced significant stress and also pressure.
The real uncertainty of waiting for a response can make or break a person. And, it is a lot easier said than done to just be patient and wait. This is so difficult to do.
The Internship Application Process
You might not be sure how the internship application process really works – but nowadays it is pretty common for the internship application process to be online.
You will need to research the different internship programs out there and you need to really think about what you want to do in the internship.
You also need to work out if you qualify for the internship too, because you don’t want to be wasting your time applying for an internship if you do not meet the minimum requirements.
In order to stand out in the application process you really need to pull together a resume that will help you apply for a lot of internships in various companies and organizations.
Having a strong resume will really help you to stand out amongst all the other applicants, and you need to prove why you would be the perfect candidate for the internship position.
It is important to mention that there are some companies who use online trackers or tools so that they can handle the applications, and in turn, this will mean that the applicant can track the progress of their application through using this.
This is something that a whole lot of internship applications will follow – but there will always be a disparity in the speed at which companies get back to you.
Some companies or organizations might take a few days to get back to you, and others might take a few weeks – it is really hard to give an estimated waiting time due to this.
How Long Should You Be Waiting For?
So, as we have just mentioned it is really difficult to pinpoint an average waiting time for internship applications and this is because every company and organization will have a different screening process.
Additionally, it is important to note that there are a lot of factors that can really impact the application selection process.
A key factor that can have an effect on the waiting time for an application is the number of applicants that go for an internship. This is the main reason as to why we can’t give a direct answer to the question.
As a rough guideline, companies and organizations will most likely take between 10-15 days to respond to your internship application. This is usually the time frame where applications are ranked as being good and as being bad.
The best applications will be shortlisted for an interview, and if you have not been contacted after this amount of time then perhaps take the assumption that you have not been successful this time.
A Longer Waiting Period
You might find that you are being subjected to an extended waiting period which can be really frustrating and it can feel really exhausting.
As annoying as it is, we can’t give any kind of specific timeline due to this. In worst case scenarios, you might be contacted about your application after a few months of waiting, which is not ideal.
However, you will be pleased to know that there are some steps that you can take to prevent the ordeal of waiting in silence. A lot of applicants will have the fear of sending any kind of follow up regarding their application, but this is something that should be normalized.
We say this because if sending a follow-up message of any kind will help to put your mind at ease, then this is definitely something that you should consider doing.
If this will reduce the stress and the anxiety that you are feeling about not hearing anything back from the company or the organization that you have sent an application to then you are well within your right to send a follow up email.
If you have waited for nearly a month to hear back from the company or the organization that you have sent an application to, then you can send an email to try and find out where you stand.
All you need to do is send an email to whoever has been put in charge of recruitment and then you just need to politely ask them about the status of your application.
This will help to remind them about you and your application, and sending this email will make sure that you look keen and eager to get started with the company or organization.
In Conclusion
Overall, it is difficult to put a time mark on how long it should take for you to hear back from a company or organization about the status of your internship application.
But, if you are becoming especially anxious about a delayed response to your internship application, then you should consider sending over a follow up email just to check what is going on.
