As the semester comes to a close, more and more students are starting to look for internships for their degree plan. However, most students don’t know where to start when looking. Here are some tips and tricks from professionals to help students start their search off right.
Start looking early.
It is recommended to start looking as soon as you have an idea of what you want to do. Because internships can sometimes be competitive it can be hard to find an internship you are happy with if you apply too late in the game. Career services recommends looking for internships through websites like Cru Connection, LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor.
“The sooner students start looking, the better,” Emily Kelly, assistant director of career services, said. “We have companies coming to our fall 2018 job fairs in October and a lot of those companies will already be looking for interns for the next summer.”
Register for the course.
Almost all of UMHB’s degree plans require students to take an internship course to gain some experience in the field before graduating from UMHB. Each degree’s internship process is different; some require a specific number of hours while others need two or more specific internships of smaller intervals. It is recommended that students always check with their professor first, especially if the internship for their degree, for any requirement or guidelines.
Students should be sure they have a good understanding of what they expect. Some professors will have specific guidelines and others won’t be so written directly. It is wise to check to see before going out and applying for an internship in case the professor cannot approve it.
Attend job fairs.
Career Services is constantly hosting job fairs for specific colleges here on campus. Students should attend these because it is a good way to network and meet the companies they could be working for Students often find that it is more helpful to talk to a person rather than just filling out an online application.
Make an appointment with Career Services.
Career Services helps students prepare for the world outside of UMHB. The center helps get students connected, build their resumes, give career advice, and so much more. Though career services cannot guarantee students placement, the people there help guide students to be more successful in getting a placement. If possible, students should at least come with some information about what they want to do and also an idea of what they want in an internship.
“One of the first things we would ask for is a student’s resume and if a student doesn’t have one we will guide them through creating one to make sure they are in the right spot to get started in the internship search,” Kelly said.
Ask Around.
Sometimes students have friends, family, or even people they go to church with who know of some internship opportunities. You never know where you can find them. There are plenty of opportunities out there, students just have to ask to find them.
Look for learning opportunities.
Students should try to make sure that the internships they are applying for can help them better their skills and knowledge in a certain field.
“Bottom line is that a student gets a learning outcome from it and that the student leaves with a way to better their skills,” Don Owens, director of career services, said.
madelines-corner.com 