Internships
What is an Internship?
Why Should I do an Internship?
How do I Get One?
Where do I do an Internship?
When Should I do an Internship?
The Internship Search: Links & Resources
What?
An internship is a learning experience in a work setting. It is an opportunity for students to gain practical, professional experience and valuable workplace skills while exploring a career.
Internships can be:
-
Structured (by an academic department or through an existing internship program)
-
Unstructured (usually independent from academics or not affiliated with any set program)
-
Paid or Volunteer (remember that you are always getting paid by gaining a valuable experience)
-
for Academic Credit (please consult your advisor or department chair for credit information)
-
part of a Group program or individualized to meet your specific interests
Where?
Any setting where people work, such as private businesses, government offices, non-profit organizations, schools, medical facilities, or any desired place of business where you want to gain experience and build your skills/knowledge of a specific profession.
When?
That's your choice. Students can intern during the summer or school year, for several weeks or several months up to a year, for 6-8 hours a week up to 40 hours a week. Many structured internship programs prefer students in their JUNIOR or SENIOR year. But first-year students and sophomores may be able to create their own individualized internship experience as well.
Why?
When you participate in an internship experience, you can
-
Determine if a particular career is a right fit for you
-
Find out how to prepare for a career in a certain field
-
Build a strong resume
-
Develop a network of professional contacts for future opportunities and references
-
Learn which workplace skills you need to develop
-
Find out what to expect when you transition into a full-time job
-
Potentially turn your internship into a full-time job opportunity
-
Discover what career fields and jobs you DO NOT want to pursue.
*Internships are essential in today's college employment marketplace. Many employers that hire college graduates consider internship experience to be equally important as grades and organizational involvement. When it comes time to interview and hire, employers usually select graduates who have completed internships over those who have not.
How?
INTERNSHIP CHECKLIST: STEPS FOR INTERNSHIP SEARCH SUCCESS!
- ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS If you have not talked to your advisor, make sure you do! Advisors, faculty, departmental catalog boards are GREAT resources for internship opportunities! Your academic department often will have an internship contact and a listing of internship opportunities showing where students have interned in the past.
- COLLEGE CENTRAL NETWORK(Stetson's job & internship database)
- INTERNSHIPS.COM Find great LOCAL, NATIONAL, and INTERNATIONAL internships. Registration Code: stetson
- NETWORK! Set up an informational interview with a contact in your field of interest, contact an alumni through our CAREER NETWORK , talk to your family, friends, and faculty who may know of places or people who can provide you with a great internship experience! Get yourself out there!
- Visit the Career Development Resource Library in Flagler Hall, Suite 102. Also visit the duPont-Ball Library on campus for additional internship information.
- ONLINE INTERNSHIP RESOURCES This list is just a sampling of internship resources on the web.
- Company/Organization websites if you have an idea of the companies you are interested in, go directly to their website (a Google search can get you there usually) and they often list their internships under Careers, Jobs, Human Resources or About Us section.
- Campus Organizations Honor Societies, and Professional Organizations
- Attend Career Fairs! Stetson's Annual Career Expo (ACE) is held every year.
- Develop Your Own! Many internships aren't actually posted positions. You can develop your own by contacting a company of interest. Research employers and send a letter of interest or call by phone to discuss a potential internship. Not sure how? Make an appointment with a counselor in Career Development to learn more about creating your own internship in your field of interest.
Interested in a Research Internship? Stetson University Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program offers twelve undergraduate research internship positions. Complete information and applications are available at: http://www.stetson.edu/other/research/sure.php