Internships are a great way to explore career fields, develop skills, gain career-related experience and expand your professional network.
WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?
An internship is any temporary work experience in a for-profit or nonprofit organization with the dual purpose of learning while working. An internship is…
- A chance to bridge theoretical, classroom knowledge and skills with hands-on practice and application with a worksite as the classroom.
- An opportunity to learn and test your skills in a specific career field of interest with an intentional “’learning agenda” structured into the experience.
- Practice in skills assessment, self-marketing, and job search.
- A way to develop your self-confidence as you solve problems in a new environment, enhancing academic, career, and/or personal development.
- A method of gathering useful contacts and possible references for future career networking.
- Experience.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT INTERNSHIPS
An internship is not…
- A volunteer experience: Regardless of the financial arrangements, an intern is not the same as a volunteer. An intern should expect to receive supervision while being challenged to learn and grow, provided support and encouragement, and included in the work team.
- A resident expert: It is inappropriate for an organization to expect an intern to be the “resident expert” or to fill a gap in an area in which the staff lacks basic skills or knowledge.
- A guaranteed job: Sometimes interns are offered part- or fulltime employment as a result of contacts made during an internship, but there is no guarantee that an internship will lead to a job. Build information and referral networks by getting to know the people with whom you work.
TYPES OF INTERNSHIPS
Internships may be paid or unpaid and may or may not be completed for college credit. Most internships offer you flexible part-time work hours while a few may require a fulltime commitment. Do not automatically rule out unpaid internships. Instead of an hourly wage, some organizations will offer a stipend, reimbursement for travel expenses, assistance with housing, and/or offer you training or the chance to attend a professional conference.
Internships may be part of an educational program and carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit or non-credit. All credit-earning internships must be approved by the academic department prior to the student’s start date. Creativity and assertiveness may be needed while inquiring about opportunities.
ACADEMIC AREAS ON CAMPUS ENDORSING INTERNSHIPS
Although internships are available and encouraged in many academic areas of Cardinal Stritch University, most are generated from the College of Arts and Science. Specific departments may include Art, Biology/Chemistry, Business/Economics, Communication Arts, English, Foreign Language, History/Political Science, International Business, Math/Computer Science, Music, Psychology, Sociology, and Theater Arts. Some of these departments may require the completion of an internship while others may solely recommend an internship. Students in the College of Education and Leadership, as well as in the Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing, have practical work experiences incorporated directly into the curriculum Evening students in the College of Business and Management typically do not complete internships since they are already gainfully employed in the workplace. TIMING OF INTERNSHIPS
Students who have obtained some academic or theoretical knowledge in their area of focus are ready for an internship. Although an internship can be completed as early as during the second semester of one’s sophomore year, most internships are experienced between the summer before junior year and/or during first semester of one’s senior year.
Internships can be integrated into your regular school schedule, occur during a semester away from school, or be completed during the summer.
STEPS TO OBTAINING AN INTERNSHIP
Prepare for your internship months in advance of the date you want to start the experience. Employer recruiters are usually recruiting for the next semester or beyond.
- Clarify your goals and objectives. To help you identify your internship goals, consider the skills you want to develop or industry areas you are interested in learning more about. If you are working on making these decisions, visit Career Services to discuss your questions and ideas. You may also pursue the self-assessment process offered by Career Services. This process consists of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and conversations about these assessments can assist you in identifying your interests as well as what you have to offer to an employer.
- Consult with your faculty advisor and Career Services as they can often help you brainstorm organizations to target in your internship search. An internship for academic credit must have faculty sponsorship. Discuss plans with your advisor as early as possible.
- Prepare materials: A resume, cover letter, and references will be needed. Career Services offers a Resume and Cover Letter Guide, workshops, and individual appointments to help you with your resume, cover letters, and reference seeking.
- Practice your verbal self-marketing techniques through mock (practice) interviews. These are offered through Career Services and include videotaping and critiquing.
- Identify and research organizations in which you can meet your objectives.
- Apply, interview, accept or reject: Apply to multiple internship opportunities so you will have the chance to choose from several offers.
- Clarify your expectations with your site supervisor and faculty member. Agree upon stipulations of your work contract with your internship supervisor and your faculty advisor to identify objectives, duties, duration, and performance evaluation procedures.
- Complete all necessary paperwork, especially related to arrangements for credit.
SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP
Although generating internship options may be a bit intimidating, a multitude of resources exists to support you with this process. Be sure to refer to the following resources:
StritchConnect - the Career Services resource for job and internship postings, employer research and mentor offerings.
Professional associations: Professional organization Web sites often have a “for students” page or a “careers” page with information about internship opportunities.
Employer Web sites: If you know you are interested in working for a particular employer or organization, visit their Web site directly to learn if they have information about internship opportunities. If you cannot find any information online, call to inquire.
Networking: Talk to people you know to inquire about organizations or professionals you could contact to learn more about internship opportunities. Networking contacts may include:
- Faculty
- Family and friends
- Career Services staff
- Past supervisors (from previous jobs, internships or volunteer activities)
Internet Listings
In addition to the resources below, be sure to also review Web sites listed within Job Search Links.
- AIESEC -- Pronounced "eye-ay-sek" and founded in Europe in 1948, AIESEC is a global student-managed, work-exchange organization composed of diverse members who are committed to learning about other cultures and expanding their worldview. AIESEC offers members the opportunity to realize an internship abroad in over 100 member countries around the world. Please contact AIESEC at Stritch at: aiesec@stritch.edu. Join Facebook Group: AIESEC Milwaukee
- BigAppleHead -- BigAppleHead.com is a college graduate job listing board specific to the New York metro area, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Full- and part-time positions, as well as internships are posted.
- CollegeGrad.com -- This Web site contains internship postings for current students in addition to full time positions for college grads.
- Global Service Corps -- Internship opportunities in Thailand and Tanzania.
- EntertainmentCareers.net-- Jobs and internships related to the entertainment field, including art, television, radio, theater.
- Idealist.org -- Job and internships with a non-profit focus
- INROADS-- A non-profit organization that trains and develops talented minority youth for professional careers in business and industry
- MilwaukeeInternships.com -- In partnership with MACIC and WiJobs.com, this site provides free job postings for internship positions to local employers.
- Nationwide Internship listings via University of Virginia.
- Student Conservation Association -- Environmentally focused internships
- The Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee -- Volunteer position listings and a resource for identifying non-profit organizations in the Milwaukee area where you could pursue internships.
- The Washington Center (Washington, D.C.) -- Internships and programs in the nation's capital.
SETTING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Discuss your objectives with your site supervisor both when the internship is first arranged and again shortly after your begin work, by which time you should both know whether your expectations are realistic. You should agree on how you will be evaluated and meet periodically to assess your progress on the basis of your objectives. The broad types of learning objectives may include applying classroom theory, developing work skills, career exploration, interpersonal skills, taking responsibility, and research. In developing your objectives, use specific rather than vague phrases, such as:
- I will learn the methods involved in researching legislation for committee assignments.
- I will learn to develop appropriate test items for employment tests.
- I will study the methods of cost accounting used by this firm.
- I will determine if working for an accounting firm is an appropriate career goal for me.
- I will learn to administer and interpret personality inventories.
Contracts/Agreements
A learning contract or agreement details your internship goals and appropriate activities to meet those expectations. Both the employer and intern should formally review and sign an internship agreement to ensure that both parties are in agreement as to the expectations of the experience. Click here for the Stritch Internship Agreement form. This document can provide a focus for periodic assessment and final evaluation of your internship experience.
REFLECTION
Set aside time regularly to reflect on what you are observing and learning. Keeping a journal of observations, experiences, analyses, speculations, and evaluations will enrich your current experiences. Ask yourself some questions to help you get started:
- What do I like and dislike about the work that I am doing or others are doing, about this organization, work culture, my colleagues and clients? At what am I best? How do I define good work?
- What is the typical career pattern in this organization or type of work? What are the psychological and other requirements of this work or career? What are the costs and rewards? How does this work mesh with my own interests, skills, values, and objectives? How has this experience affected my career goals and plans?
- What are the mission and goals of the organization or department, both stated and actual? Do they conflict? How does it try to attain these goals, and how successful is it? Are there ethical issues raised by these goals and their implementation? How is the organization financed and with what advantages and disadvantages?
- What is the culture of this organization? Take a look at informal social and power structures, communication and friendship patterns, politics, demographic characteristics, value systems, and unwritten codes of dress and conduct. How do these patterns compare with official authority structures, policies, and values? How is conflict resolved?
- Who are the customers or clients of the organization? How do they perceive and respond to the organization, to my personal efforts, and to those of my colleagues? How am I reacting to customers and their needs? How well does the organization respond to their needs?
- What other issues regarding work have I encountered: for example, discrimination, harassment, other ethical issues, work-alcoholism and burnout, and functions and implications of the technology employed? What substantive issues relate to the content of my work? How do they both draw on and modify what I have learned in my academic coursework?
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Attitude and Actions: Take a positive attitude toward the internship as it will guarantee that you make the most of it and the best impression. The only reputation that matters in the end is the one you develop while working there.
Commit yourself fully to the experience, even when working on mindless and mundane tasks.
Identify additional work to be done and offer to do it in an appropriate way and helpful to others. Use every opportunity to assume responsibility, even if it means creating a special project.
Assume responsibility for your own learning: ask good questions and seek out learning opportunities. Pay attention to what staff are reading and discussing: which trade publications are read and what conferences do they attend?
Meet regularly with your supervisor to get feedback on your work and gain information about the field, organization, and substantive issues pertinent to them.
Ask colleagues who seem interesting and welcoming to have lunch with you to discuss the field and their careers. Develop other mentors besides your supervisor.
Be friendly and engage in conversation with your co-workers, including the support staff.
Be professional: Dress and act according to organization norms; put in the expected hours and arrive on time. Do not engage in office politics, gossip, backbiting, or refrain from helping yourself to office supplies, postage, photocopying, faxing, or long-distance telephone privileges.
Stay positive, cheerful, and polite even in periods of stress.
Approach the internship with an open mind. Look for opportunities in disappointments and even failures.
POST INTERNSHIP
Making the most of your internship is an ongoing process that extends beyond the day your internship ends. Your next step is to update your resume, using compelling language to effectively communicate your enhanced experience, knowledge, and skills to potential employers.