Life as a college student is busy. Classes, papers, clubs and work can make college life overwhelming and lead to an intense schedule. The idea of adding an internship during the semester can be daunting, to say the least. Yet, for most fields, internships are integral to finding employment after college.

So where do you start? If you don’t have a resume, use an online template before following up with the Career Development Center. They can help in restructuring, formatting and wording your resume. Afterwards, consider asking a professor you’re comfortable with to look it over. They can ensure that it stresses the strengths that the field you want to work in values.

When it comes to the search process, don’t be afraid to look on your own! Websites like Indeed and the LinkedIn Job Search app are great resources. Ask if your major department at Iona has connections or listings that they recommend. Lastly, keep in mind that while companies with a household name are great, small companies are also great to have on the resume, and sometimes offer more hands-on experience.

Most internships require two to three days of work per week. If you know you want to intern next semester, speak with your advisor about condensing your class days. Look into taking courses that fulfill requirements but only meet on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. If you happen to get an offer after you’ve registered, don’t worry! Look into rearranging your schedule, and don’t be afraid to ask for permission codes for courses that may be closed. Ultimately, the point of college is to find employment later, so professors are generally more than eager to help you with an internship.

Next, let’s talk about the internship itself. It is not uncommon for a student to be balancing classes with an internship, and sometimes another job, if the internship is unpaid. If this is the case, see if your internship can offer you a set schedule. Knowing what is ahead of you can help you organize time for papers, meetings and, most importantly, downtime. If your internship is unpaid and it costs a significant amount to commute, talk to your supervisor about a travel stipend. It might not completely cover the cost, but it should make a dent.

Lastly, remember that taking time for yourself is important. It often seems as if there’s no time to relax because of your to-do list. There’s the idea that we should push until we have nothing left. Remember, however, that your mental capacity is lowered if you push yourself too far. Taking a step back can give your mind a chance to reset and will ultimately save you time while improving the quality of your work.