An internship can be a great way to get hands-on experience in a particular field. It can also help you grow your network and improve your likelihood of being hired for a full-time position.
Research shows that paid internships turn into job offers around 65% of the time, while unpaid ones lead to offers nearly 40% of the time. If you’re fortunate enough to land an internship in your industry of choice, taking the leap can help propel your career forward.
However, what should you do if the internship isn’t local? There are many types of housing for interns, but finding the right place can be tricky. Today, we’re sharing a few of the best places to look and the criteria to keep in mind as you seek the temporary housing you need.
Housing For Interns: Where to Check First
When you secure the ideal internship opportunity, housing shouldn’t be an obstacle that holds you back. The key to finding the right type of internship housing is knowing who to talk to and where to check. Let’s take a look at a few of the first places you should call when you’re ready to take this next step.
Internship Placement Programs
Are you interning at a college or university? What about a major business corporation? In either case, if the entity has an established internship program in place, they may also have residential placement services for incoming recruits.
Before you begin searching for intern housing on your own, check with your program’s point of contact. Even if there isn’t a direct housing partnership in place, they might have relationships with local property owners that you can use to your advantage. While this is most common with larger companies, you may be surprised to find that even small-to-midsized businesses have such resources.
This is especially the case with school-based internship programs.
These usually recruit interns on a regular, reoccurring basis and it’s unlikely that everyone in the program is a local resident. As such, they should be able to point you in the right direction when it’s time to begin your search.
Local Colleges
Even if you aren’t interning at an academic institution, it’s still smart to check with nearby colleges when you begin your housing search. Many will keep at least a portion of their on-campus dorm rooms open for summer school students.
If that’s the case, they may also sublease other units just for the summer. If your internship happens to fall during this off-season, you may be able to find a room or suite that’s close to your new office. While the accommodations may be bare-bones, they will usually be available at an economical price point.
If you’re running into a roadblock with this route, consider checking the school’s social media pages. You may be able to find Facebook groups for students and professionals looking for a temporary place to stay.
Past or Current Interns
Chances are, you aren’t the very first intern that this business has hired. Before you begin searching for somewhere to live while you’re at work, ask for the contact information of a few interns that have filled the position before you.
Reach out to them and inquire about where they lived during the duration of their stay. Not only can they tip you off about nearby properties, but they can also tell you which areas to prioritize over others.
If you’re part of a larger group of interns traveling to a location, consider reaching out to a few others in your program. They might be willing to stay with you, which can help both financially and emotionally. Traveling to a new city on your own can be stressful and overwhelming, and this can be a great way to make new friends.
Team Housing Solutions
When you’re preparing to relocate for a short-term internship, you already have enough on your plate. Between packing up and preparing things at home, your checklist will likely be a mile long.
Our team at Team Housing Solutions can help you secure the best corporate lodging solutions for your needs. Our all-inclusive options are equipped with everything you might need in a home away from home, including:
- Cable
- Utilities
- Furniture
- Appliances
- Cleaning services
- High-speed wireless internet
- Housewares
We have direct access to a wide range of global properties. In addition, we’re also a certified travel supplier, which allows us partnerships with a wide range of hotel and lodging companies around the world. We work closely with all of the major hotel chains, including Hilton, Mariott, Hyatt, and more, to help you find the best, most accommodating stay near you.
Friends or Colleagues
Few things can be as valuable as a word-of-mouth referral. If you’re still looking for a place to stay during your internship, consider reaching out to friends, family members, or colleagues who might have contacts in the area you’re headed.
Use tools such as Facebook Recommendations to pose a question to your network of followers. You can set up your requests to be location-based in nature, which can help you find more targeted results. Ask if anyone has a contact in that locale, or would be willing to recommend a place to stay.
You might luck out and connect with someone who owns a vacation rental in the area, or can point you in the direction of someone who does. This is another great way to expand your network and connect with others in your new work location.
Internship Housing Made Easy
Starting a new internship can be an exciting and rewarding time in your life. However, it can also be one of the most stressful.
We offer housing for interns that can help take some of the chaos out of the calculation. Whether you need managed housing services, corporate lodging, or a top-tier hotel stay, we make the process simple, seamless, and successful. For more information on the services we offer, feel free to reach out to our team.
