Internship Development
Internships
Internships are essential for liberal arts students to “test the fit” of the many career options that may interest them and develop marketable skills. Most students nationwide graduate with at least one, if not several internship experiences. Get comprehensive internship advising from Career Services’ Internship Development program.
Internship Development News
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According to data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2009 Student Survey, grads with internship experience earned full-time jobs upon graduation at a rate nearly 10 percentage points highter than those graduates with no internship experience, the October 28, 2009, edition of the NACE Spotlight e-newsletter reports. -
Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her four years of college. Now she speaks to college students and writes a blog about internships. Check out her advice for current interns for getting off on the right foot. -
Do you check your Facebook page every 10 minutes? Are you permanently attached to your iPod? Used to texting everyone? Today’s technology pervades college students’ lives, but learn how your new job and your technology habits might conflict. Get advice from the National Assocation of Colleges and Employers about meeting e-etiquette expectations at work. -
Looking for an internship? SU PirateLink, accessible 24/7 online, features all internship opportunities that have been advertised to Career Services. If you need help figuring out how to access or use PirateLink, please contact us at 512.863.1346 to set up an appointment to get help, or stop by our drop-in internship advising hours on Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. in the Career Services office. -
Congratulations! You made it through the resume screen to the interview stage. Now use the same process of carefully targeting your experience to the opportunity for which you’re applying to best market yourself. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) offers advice to master today’s behavioral-based interview.
More Internship Development News>
How do I get a job without experience? How do I get experience without a job?
An internship is the answer. Internships provide professional experiences as a part of undergraduate study. The intern is under the supervision of at least one practicing professional. Depending on where you intern, some may offer pay, but many do not.
Internships can take the form of academic (for credit) or experience-only internships. Usually completed in the junior or senior year, an academic internship is typically more rigorous and provides academic credit toward your degree program.
Experience-only internships can be completed at any time, provided you meet the requirements set forth by the company or organization offering an internship program that interests you. You can even pitch your skills and the offer to work for an organization that hasn’t offered internships in the past - this usually works most effectively if you offer to work for no remuneration.
Internship programs are a win-win opportunity for students and employers. Employers can test, groom and recruit full-time candidates, and more and more students are taking advantage of internships to maintain a competitive edge in the job market.
What are the key factors in securing an internship?
Timing: Begin well in advance of the application deadline to prepare materials (transcripts, recommendations and writing samples may be required, for example) and fine-tune your resume.
Research: In-depth research of the organization is time consuming but will pay off when writing a cover letter and in the interview process. Need ideas on what kinds of fields might most interest you? Stop by the Resource Center to browse the more than 500 publications detailing careers in a broad variety of occupations. Grab Major Possibilities brochures for your major or any others that interest you. And don’t forget the Internet as a great research tool. Check out our compilation of Internet Links designed to help you sort through the avalanch of information available online.
Attitude/Motivation: While some programs impose a minimum GPA or require a specific major, the deciding factor - time and time again - is the applicant’s attitude. Specifically, hiring managers use cover letters and interviews to gauge an applicant’s motivation and energy. Organizations want interns who are mature, self-motivated, professional and who maintain a high level of energy.
Getting started
Are you ready to experience the world of work through job shadowing, group externship visits and actual internships? Then Career Services Internship Development is the place to get started.
Meet with an Internship Specialist
Maria Kruger, Internship Coordinator, meets with students one-on-one to aid them in the internship process. If you’re just starting out, schedule an appointment with Maria to brainstorm options or discuss the fields you’re already considering. If you have an internship for academic credit in mind and need to obtain internship paperwork, you also need to meet with Maria. Drop-in hours for internship advising are also available weekly on Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. at Pop in for Popcorn and several times per semester on Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m. at Wednesday Wisdom, both in the McCook-Crain Building.
Browse current and archived internship postings
SU PirateLink contains all current internship postings, as well as those for full-time and part-time jobs. Use your email address as the login and the “forgot password” feature if you need help remembering yours. Examples of past internships SU students have pursued are available through the Internship Archive.
For tips and more information on how to make an internship a positive experience please click here. For specifics about obtaining academic credit see the Academic Internships page.
