Start-up assists students searching for internships

College students can now use an alternative method of landing an internship. Start-up website internsushi.com’s slogan encourages applicants to “be picky” during their search.

Founded in late 2011, the site now has 30,000 active accounts. Users customize their online profile and present it to employers in place of a traditional résumé.

“Our digital profiles allow applicants to get in front of somebody even before an actual interview,” said Lauren Antonelli, internsushi.com’s vice president of user and content strategy said.

The company’s name reflects its selective philosophy. According to the website, “The attributes of a great intern match the attributes of sushi. When you choose a sushi restaurant, you often consider quality, variety, presentation and innovation.”

According to the website, “internsushi.com is a new way to present yourself to companies in the hardest-to-break-into industries like fashion, music, and film.”

More than 5,000 companies across 17 industries currently have active profiles with more added each day, Antonelli said. 

“It’s incredibly competitive everywhere right now,” Antonelli said. “For every one position there are eight interns vying for it.”

Junior Morgan Roach has an occupational therapy internship set up this summer in her hometown.

“I think the site would be very helpful for people going through their (internship) search,” Roach said. “It helps students stay organized by keeping all the necessary information in one place.”

By trashing the traditional paper résumé, aspiring interns apply directly online via their internsushi.com account. The site’s digital profiles allow aspiring interns to upload a one-minute video and personal portfolio.

Many majors at IU require the completion of an internship for graduation.

“If I didn’t have contacts through my family, I would have had a much harder time landing my internship,” Roach said.

According to Antonelli, Companies like Billboard, NBC and funnyordie.com have hired interns using internsushi.com accounts.

“Internships are no longer optional at this point,” Antonelli said. “They are today’s entry-level jobs.”