Internships for Dummies
By Travis Lott
I went to the Career Center here at Southern Virginia University and talked with Tayler Bowers and Lauren Nelson about internships and then created this lovely little how-to guide. If you want more specific information, go in and talk with them in person in the upstairs of the Student Life house.
What is an internship?
According to Google, an internship is “the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.” However, I got a more basic definition from Nelson: “Experiential learning for a specific field.”
Internships don’t always line up with what you are wanting to do. The job descriptions for internships don’t always accurately explain what you will be doing. When you go in for your interview you will find out what you’ll actually be doing. For example, the job description might say something along the lines of “working with the director of a company,” but you might actually end up just being their assistant and getting them coffee instead of doing something that feels worthwhile, so make sure you understand what you will be doing.
When should you get an internship?
Bowers advised that it’s never really too early to get an internship. Having one is great because it helps you to understand if you want to work in the field that your internship is in or not. If you start as a sophomore or a junior, that’s optimal if you want to go the internship route. You could have one between each year of school that could help you find what you want.
Internships can also help you decide on a major. By taking an internship within a specific field, it can help you decide if you want to study that major. Internships help open doors because you have more experience and can come away with new skills and knowing new people. Your resume will be improved which will help you get a job or help with getting another more advanced internship.
How do you go about getting an internship?
There are a few different ways to apply for and get an internship.
#1) If you have a company you already want to work for, you can go straight to them. Get on their website and look up internships or call and ask about the internship programs they have.
#2) There is also Google Jobs where you can look up types of internships in specific places. An example would be looking up “engineering internships in Richmond, Virginia.” Make sure to apply through the company itself though and not through a second party site like Indeed, so you can receive an answer as quickly as possible.
#3) If none of the other options work you can always go to the Career Center and they can find one just for you.
However, Nelson and Bowers emphasized that the most important thing for you to do is have your resume reviewed and edited by those working in the Career Center. Also make sure to express your interests to those around you. Your professors have really good connections outside of the school. They may know about jobs before they’re released to the general student population because of meetings they attend and emails they receive. Professors can also help get word back to the Career Center so they can remember you when a similar internship pops up and can reach out to you.
Do internships count for credit?
Yes! They can actually count for credit at school. You will need to go to the registrar and talk with them about it, they will give you a form to fill out and the professor in charge of the internship will need to sign it.
Paid vs Unpaid?
Should you take an unpaid internship? Bowers says,“Take one if you are in a financial position to do so and if the company will give you good experience.” Internships in general can lead to full-time employment whether they are paid or not, so if you find an unpaid one and can afford to take it then do it. Unpaid internships are generally unpaid because the company is pouring resources into you through training and that training can make getting a job at that company much easier. Therefore, unpaid internships can be an investment in your future.
Talk with the Career Center, get an internship, boost your resume, and prepare yourself for life after college.
