Searching for an Internship

Steps to finding an Internship

• • Know Yourself: Understand your interests, skills, values, and the needs of the community to figure out what you bring to an internship.  Consider completing the Exploration Activity Worksheet, which is also part of the Viking Score.

• • Develop one or more Career Goals:  Having a career goal will help you narrow down the types of internships that will help you gain the skills you need. Consider completing the Career Goal Activity Worksheet, which is also part of the Viking Score.

• • Complete the Action Plan for Experiential Learning which gives you the blueprint for what you are seeking

• • Create the appropriate resume and cover letter. Tailor your resume and cover letters for the type(s) of positions to which you’re applying. Meet with your Career Coach to discuss how to tailor your resume to each job/internship that you apply.

• • Use your Network: You know the saying; it is not what you know, but who you know! Networking involves telling everyone you know and meet about your career goals.

• • Attend Career or Graduate School Fairs 

• • Prepare for Interviews: The secret to interviewing is preparation and practice. While all jobs and all interviewers are not the same, there are certain questions that are usually asked of candidates during an interview. Even if you consider yourself an expert communicator, interviewing takes skill and preparation.

• • Apply! This seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people hesitate before applying. Applying to a job or internship does not mean you have to take it. It is better to have 5 offers than no offers!

• • Additional Considerations for International Students and Internships

Where to find internship opportunities

• • Each Career Path on this website has links to internships and resources specifically for you.  Simply select the Explore Career Paths drop-down at the top of the page and choose your field of interest.

• • Internships.com brings students and employers together in one centralized location, providing tools and services for students to develop the real-world skills they will need upon graduation and for employers to find the best candidates.

• • Indeed.com includes all the job listings from major job boards, newspapers, associations, and company career pages. Indeed.com makes it possible to save searches and have internships/jobs delivered via email alerts through RSS feeds. Indeed.com also makes it possible for you to proactively search for internships and jobs because they have free access to millions of employment opportunities culled from thousands of websites across the net.

• • Idealist.org is a project that was developed through Action Without Borders, a non-profit organization that began in 1995. The site consists of over 120,000 nonprofit and community organizations in over 180 countries. Numerous opportunities exist for individuals who want to do internships, volunteer work, or find positions where they will be involved in activities that allow them to give back and make a difference in the world.

• • USAJobs.gov is the official U.S. government website for college students interested in securing internships with the U.S. government. It also contains additional resources for those interested in working for the government.

• • The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is a nonprofit organization that offers paid internship opportunities for students interested in environmental preservation. SCA focuses on providing hands-on conservation service opportunities to high school and college students interested in learning about and preserving, the environment.