Internships A-Z

What is an internship? Bridge between university experience and the work world Solves the “How do I get experience?” question Can be full-time, part-time, paid, unpaid, onsite, virtual, volunteer, or even a couple of hours a week Possibility for credit and built into your academic coursework

Value of your internships Your internships can, in some cases, trump… Your GPA Your major The reputation of the university Internships are how you extract value from your education and build skill sets, applying what you are learning in the classroom.

Why should I have one? Depending on which research you read, somewhere between 1/6 to 1/3 of all college graduates take a job that does not require a college degree Interns are twice as likely to land a job that does require a college degree The number one indicator of first-full time career a student has after college is last full time assignment a student had before graduating

Benefits of internships Depending on which research you read, somewhere between 1/6 to 1/3 of all college graduates take a job that does not require a college degree Interns are twice as likely to land a job that does require a college degree The number one indicator of first-full time career a student has after college is last full time assignment a student had before graduating

Internship value Improve knowledge of industry, functions, job titles, career paths Job reference and potential recommendation Added value to resume Have a solid lead with at least one potential employer College credit (sometimes) Income Gain experience http://www.internships.com/eyeoftheintern/news/idc-news/internships-survey-2013-internship-trends/ http://idc-content.s3.amazonaws.com/site/images/blog/internships_infographic_2012.jpg

Ultimate benefit Experience will help you decide what you do and don’t like to guide your career path

How to find internships HuskyJobs Indeed.com Idealist.org LinkedIn #1 Networking

Application process: resume What do I include? Student activities DECA Boy or Girl Scouts Student Government Athletics Volunteer Informal, meaningful experiences Focus on a skill area (e.g. Writing, Organization, Leadership, etc…) Jobs Coursework: projects, presentations, and research

Defining features of a great internship Opportunity to work at or slightly above your skill level Formalized socialization opportunities Fostering a “good fit” Established program with structure, committed resources, and an assigned supervisor/mentor Exposure to various departments and/or functions A defining project or resulting product An established lead of consideration for permanent hire

3 things you want after an internship Completed project Job offer Letter of recommendation

Indicators of a bad internship Below college level work No training, coaching, guidance, or exposure All work and no play Bad supervision Boring or underwhelming

Barriers to a successful internship Ambiguous expectations of job duties What is expected of me? Not knowing what you are contributing to Misunderstanding the benefits of the internship What am I getting out of this? Misunderstanding the job responsibilities “It’s not what I thought it was” Leaving the internship underwhelmed Hite, R. and Bellizzi, J. (1986). Student expectations regarding collegiate internship programs in marketing. Journal of Marketing Education. 8(3), 41-49.

How to improve a bad situation Clarify and prioritize responsibilities with supervisor Show initiative - Ask for more work! Propose a project

Maximizing the experience In the internship… Informational interview outside of your assignment Meet people in other departments, functions, and branches Meet alumni and other people in the city or area where your internship is located Create a portfolio of accomplishments NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!

Questions?