Put together a portfolio. If you are looking for any internship in graphic design, choose a strong, diverse body of your work to showcase your talent and ability. If you are looking for a specific type of internship, however, choose work that highlights a specific skill or interest. Ask a professor or mentor to look at your portfolio before you take it to an interview. Outside advice is important because it can difficult to judge your own work.
Create a resume highlighting your education and experience with graphic design. The resume should be in a clean and simple format.
Ask around. Talk to your professors, advisers, family, friends and anyone else who may have a lead on an internship. Often, internships are found simply by knowing someone in the field. At the very least, someone may be able to point you in the right direction.
Decide what you want out of the internship. Figure out whether you will settle for an unpaid internship or you require some pay, and what kind of internship will best suit your talents and desires. If you are interested in getting an internship to lead you down a specific career path such as logo design, you might want to find an internship that will give you experience in that area.
Look at online classifieds for internships in your region. Make phone calls to agencies and businesses that seem promising. Even if a place does not specify that it is looking for an intern, it can't hurt to ask.
Write a personalized cover letter to go with each resume you send. The cover letter should indicate why you want to work at the specified internship and what you would bring to the table as an employee. In other words, sell yourself but try not to come off as conceited.
Be professional. If you get an interview, dress professionally even if the internship is unpaid. Act as though this interview were for a high-paying job. If you play your cards right, it could turn into one.
Follow up with your application. Graphic design is a competitive field, and you could easily get lost in the shuffle. Taking the extra step to make a phone call or send an email after you send a resume or after you interview could be what sets you apart. Be frugal with your follow-up attempts, however. Calling or emailing too much can make you come across as needy or unprofessional.