And while many students complete internships during the summer months, internships
can also be arranged during the fall and spring semesters, giving most students
ample opportunities to graduate with at least one internship, and the better students
with multiple internships.
So, given the importance of internships, how do you go about finding one? There
are five main sources of internships.
Your
College Career Center. Businesses and organizations located near colleges
love having students as interns, and most of these local opportunities go through
your college’s career center. So, if you have been avoiding making an appearance
at the career center’s office, now is the time to do so. Not only can these professionals
help you identify internships, but they can help you with your resume, interviewing
skills, and so much more.
Your
College Professors. Most faculty are plugged into certain local businesses
and organizations, so it makes sense to talk to your academic adviser as well
as other professors in your department of study. And if you want to intern away
from college, closer to home (or elsewhere), your professors might be perfect
for helping you make those connections.
Your
Network. Maybe not your network exactly, but the network of your family and
family’s friends. A network is simply a group of people that have some connection
to you -- and have some interest in helping you succeed. Since many of the adults
in your life most likely work, all of their places of employment are potential
sources of internships. All you need to do is approach these folks, perhaps in
a letter or email, and solicit their advice in identifying internship information.
Career Fairs.
If you thought career fairs were just for seniors, you are wrong. At many collegiate
career fairs, recruiters are also there to identify potential interns. And even
if a recruiter from an attending company does not specifically say the organization
is looking for interns, it does no harm to go up to the table and ask about the
possibility. Most colleges have career fairs on campus, and there are also regional
fairs -- and even virtual careers fairs online.
The
Internet. Some of the most coveted internships must be applied to online,
either through an internship Website or through an organization’s online career
center. Here’s a listing of all the best
internship Websites and if you have a list of specific companies at which
you would like to intern, use your favorite search engine to get to their corporate
career center.
Learn
more in this article: How
to Find Your Ideal Internship.
See a list of all
the most common college, career, and job questions -- and Dr. Hansen's solutions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr.
Randall S. Hansen is a nationally recognized career and job-search expert. He
is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers, as well as publisher of its
electronic newsletter, QuintZine.
He writes a biweekly career advice column under the name, The
Career Doctor. Dr. Hansen is a certified electronic career coach. He is
also a tenured, associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration
at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He is an author and presenter of hundreds
of publications and papers. He is co-author, with Katharine Hansen, of the top-selling
Dynamic Cover Letters. And he has been an employer and consultant dealing
with hiring and firing decisions for the past fifteen years. His opinions and
comments are often quoted in the media. Read
more about Dr. Hansen. He can be reached at randall@quintcareers.com.
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