Internship Overview

Internships provide meaningful experiences outside the classroom that are related to your major or career plans. Participating in these experiences allows you to test out your field of interest as well as develop and apply career related skills. Planning for internships early on in your educational career will help you to incorporate these experiences into your learning.

Basics

  • Internships vary in length, parameters and options including: for-credit/no credit, paid/unpaid/stipend, remote/in-person, academic semester/summer. 
  • For students who wish to obtain credits for an internship, use this general formula to estimate your desired number of credits (2 cr = 5 hr/wk, 4 cr = 10/hr/wk, etc.). 

Planning

  • Meet with your faculty advisor to review and understand any requirements and to discuss where an internship might best fit into your academic schema.
  • Think about how your academic needs, financial situation, and personal commitments determine how you hope to incorporate your internship experience.
  • Consider what you want to gain from an internship: Will it help develop the skills needed to succeed in future jobs? How will the experience fit into your overall career plan? How might it allow you to expand on concepts/projects you enjoy in courses?

Application Portfolio

  • Create or update your resume and an outline of a cover letter; create your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles; share with resumes@css.edu for review.
  • Prepare and practice for interviews.

Searching 

  • Review the Job and Internship Search handout to develop your plan and strategy for your internship search.
  • Check with your faculty and department to inquire if they maintain a spreadsheet of opportunities or distribute internship opportunities through other mechanisms.
  • Schedule a meeting with Career Services to discuss internship interests and goals, identify potential internship sites, and locate possible funding sources for unpaid internships.
  • Attend on-campus recruiting events; take advantage of an opportunity to learn from alumni, employers and faculty about current/past internships sites.

Internship Expectations: You

  • Commitment to learn, take initiative, demonstrate flexibility, and be a positive member of the team.
  • Professional behavior including reliability, punctuality, respect, and communication.
  • Develop understanding of workplace expectations including dress, use of phone, breaks, socializing, reporting, and goal setting.

Internship Expectations: Employer

  • Clear communication about responsibilities, tasks and expectations including deadlines, goal setting, and any necessary instructions.
  • Assigning meaningful tasks and relevant projects.
  • Guidance and support to answer questions, assist when needed, provide meaningful feedback, and extend recognition for contributions.
  • Opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and continued learning.