It takes more than submitting an application and hoping for the best to find a good internship. Internships are available during the summer months as well as part-time during the academic year. The most important thing to remember is to start your search early. You should begin your internship search five to six months before you want to start your work. Talk with faculty, advisors, other students, and the internship staff to start identifying your interests and goals, the skills you want to develop, and the types of work you might enjoy so you can focus your search. From there, we’ll assist you in developing a personalized search and application strategy.

Step One: Know Yourself

Meet one-to-one with our internship staff to talk about your interests and what you want to learn during an internship. We’ll talk about the skills and experience that you currently have, what you want to get out of an internship and the type of internships that would be a good match.

Step Two: Think About Your Target Organizations, Locations, and People

Think about the type of work environment where you would be successful. Would you prefer working for a small organization or a large company? Are you interested in corporate, non-profit, government, or a specialty field? Is there a particular city or area where you want to be? What type of people and clients do you want to work with or support? Answering these questions will help you identify key words and targets to use in your search.

Step Three: Begin Your Search

Once you have determined your targeted organizations and internships, the Internship Office has resources and connections to help you in your search.

Step Four: Prepare to Apply

Once you’ve identified the internships that interest you, the next step is to develop a resume and cover letter reflecting your experience and highlighting the skills and outcomes related to the internship responsibilities and the organization’s values. We’ll help you develop and give you feedback on your materials to ensure that they are relevant, specific, and professional for each opportunity.

Looking for options? There are a multitude of choices for internships, nationally and internationally, and our office will help you connect with them. With so many possibilities, you may want some advice on how to focus your search. By discussing your interests with you, our office can help you find the best resources for internships in corporations, government, non-profits or organizations in your field of study.