Why Complete an Internship?
Internships offer many valuable benefits, including work experience, on-the-job training, networking, professional contacts, and maybe even a job offer. Internships are career-based learning experiences that involve a “real world” work environment and standard workplace expectations.
An Internship is:
- Relatively Short-term – may last a few weeks or a whole semester.
- Paid or Unpaid – unpaid internships are just as valuable.
- Flexible in Scheduling – employers understand interns are students and work to accommodate student schedules.
- Career Specific – internships should be selected based upon academic program and career interest areas.
- A Professional Experience – students should treat an internship the same as any full-time position.
An Internship is NOT:
- Supplemental to Full-time Employees – an internship is a training experience to gain practical knowledge, not an alternative to hiring full-time employees.
- A “Break” From Class – you are expected to put forth your best effort to get the most out of your experience.
- Making Coffee Runs – internships should provide challenging experiences to enable you to practice the skills gained in the classroom. Interns should not be used for frivolous tasks.
- A Reflection on ONLY You – when completing internships, students are also representing the University and should act with the utmost professionalism.
Finding an Internship
There are many different places to look for internship opportunities. The first thing is to ask yourself is what industry you want to work in. Make a list of possible companies in the field and try searching if they have an internship program.
Many companies field applicants directly from job boards. In addition to the University’s Career Services platform, Handshake, below are other job positing sites:
In addition to the sites mentioned above, students can contact the COB Internship Coordinator, Peter Judge (pjudge@govst.edu) or the Office of Career Services (career@govst.edu) to assist in searching for positions.