1. Pursuing Job, Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
Student Engagement Center:
Career Development and Internships
219 Reid

2. The Agenda
Internships -What are they? -What do you want them to look like? -How/Where/When do I find one?
Job Searching -Resources that are available to you
Looking Good on Paper
Looking Good on Paper Alone Just Won’t Cut It

3. What is an internship?
A chance to explore a career -Maybe you like it, maybe you don’t
An opportunity to make some money
A way to develop some career-essential skills (and build your resume!)
An opportunity to network and collect contacts
A real-world application of your coursework

4. What will your internship look like?
When searching for an internship or job, you should consider:
Experiences you want to have
Impact on your career goals
Skills you have in this area
Skills you want to gain in this area
Network-building opportunities
What are your non-negotiables?
Paid/Unpaid
Location

5. Looking good on paper Resume:
Relevance is key!
Address specific needs of the organization/company
Make connections between your experiences and skills and their needs
Resume:
Create a master list of all of your experiences; select one page worth of relevant info for a specific position or company
Focus on your actions and accomplishments, as well as the skills you gained
Cover Letter:
Start with a strong, confident statement about your qualifications for the position
Address the top 3-5 skills or requirements from the job description. Provide specific examples describing why you are qualified to meet their needs
Ask for an interview

6. How/Where do I start looking?
Create your own internship/job -Identify employers, craft a proposal, propose an internship, negotiate -Most likely unpaid, summer funding available
Apply for existing internships -Check out NIC -Other internship resources
How many do I apply to? -As many as it takes to get one
Volunteer through Community Service

7. Looking good on paper alone won’t cut it
First Impressions are lasting!
How to make a good first impression
Networking
Professionalism is essential
Know what you hope to accomplish
Develop relationships with contacts
Listening skills are important
Collecting the information that you need
What’s your Career Commercial?
Articulating your strengths, skills, and goals

8. Important components of a successful job search
Confidence in your strengths, goals, and passions
Interest in learning and developing new skills
An open mind/ability to consider out-of-box opportunities
Persistence/Follow-up
Always demonstrate professionalism
Patience

9. Job Search Resources What do I do if I don’t know what I want to do?
Self-assessment, MyPlan
Appointment with a career counselor
Internet resources
Faculty connections
Parent/family contacts
Career Consultant Network

10. Developing your Career Commercial
My Interests/Passions
How I got interested in “X” industry
My interests in the context of my career
My Skills/Experiences
My top skills in “X” industry
My jobs/internships/leadership experiences that make me qualified
My Goals
What I want to accomplish in “X” industry

11. When do I start looking? What’s the timeline?
Now thru Thanksgiving* & /Winter Break -Identify desired internship components -Update and improve resume -2 hours per week searching
Thanksgiving thru Spring Break: -Apply, apply, apply -Interview and network
Spring Break thru end of school year: -Finalize your plans
* - Some internship deadlines are earlier (Federal Government, large internship programs)

12. Questions?
Susan Buchanan