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Ask the Right Questions . . . Get the Right Internship
When you think internships do you think of fetching papers, pouring coffee, and answering phones? If so, you have the wrong idea! Any good internship helps you gain real experience in the professional world. Granted, many internships include moments of filing and data entry, but the majority of your time should be spent experiencing great things about the career, not the coffee maker. An internship is an opportunity for you to explore the possibilities in your field and find out how your classroom learning is really applied in the work world. In addition, an internship will provide you with the knowledge to make better decisions about the career path you choose to follow. At times, the best thing about an internship is that it gives you the ability to identify what you don’t want to do for the rest of your life.
The first step in the internship process is knowing what you want out of the internship, which means making decisions about the following:
- Location—Do you want to stay close to home or do you want to travel?
- Type of company—Do you want to work for a small or large organization or a not-for-profit agency?
- Money—Do you expect to get paid or can you afford to go without money for the experience?
- Time commitment—Do you have the time to work full time or do you need something that is flexible?
- Credit—Do you need to earn academic credit for your internship or do you just want to add experience to your résumé?
These decisions will guide you in the choices you make in searching for an internship.
In the Career Resource Lab, Lucina 235, you can find a number of resources to guide you to established internship programs at companies that provide students with valuable intern experiences. The Internship Bible and The Best 109 Internships are published by the Princeton Review. These two books feature internship opportunities in large organizations for a variety of fields, academic levels, and locations. The Internship Bible has an index that divides the opportunities by state, country, field of study, deadline, academic level and more. In addition to these books, the Career Center offers other internships guides for specific academic fields. Check out the entire list of internship books in the Career Resource Lab catalog.
We have several Web links on our “Great Links to Explore” pages that can help you explore internship opportunities. One of the sites featured is Internships-USA.com. This site provides opportunities organized by field of study or interest. The site has separate listings for students interested in working with America’s advertising agencies, America’s top companies, Congress, or community and social service agencies. Internships-usa also offers internship opportunities in history, sports, media, human rights, women’s rights, environmental protection, international affairs, and in Washington dealing with law and policy. The Web site also includes employment guides for resorts, state parks, and other seasonal employment opportunities. Additional Web resources can be found under the “Internship” link.
If these resources don’t seem to fit your interests, consider creating an internship through your network or by contacting a local company to inquire about opportunities. Learn more by picking up one of the free Career Planning and Internship booklets in the Career Resource Lab.
Once you’ve selected internship opportunities that interest you, you’ve completed the first step. The next step is to prepare for the application process, which includes preparing your résumé, cover letter, and portfolio and brushing up on your interviewing skills to successfully land your first internship. For more details on internships visit our Web site .
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