Internship Planning

Student and Employer at Career Fair

An internship is a position that allows you to gain experience in the career field you are considering. Typically, the position allows you to develop new skills and offers both training and supervision. For comprehensive information, check out our Internship Guide (PDF).

3 Tips for Internship Planning

  1. Know what you want before you start searching. What type of internship are you looking for? What skills do you most want to develop? What type of organization and work environment fit your interest and values?
  2. Start early and get help. Keep the recruiting cycle in mind- many companies hire summer interns in September and October...8 months before the actual internship start date! 
  3. Ask three critical questions before accepting an internship. What type of training is provided? Who will supervise me and what is their supervisory style? What types of projects would I work on and what skills would I develop through this experience?

Remote/Virtual Internships

Many employers offer or may consider offering a remote/virtual internship opportunity. While virtual, or internships completed remotely, don’t offer quite the same environment for learning about an organization’s culture or ease of building professional relationships, they do allow you to continue to develop professionally, as well as apply and gain skills and knowledge.

Getting Academic Credit for Your Internship

Several academic programs require that you obtain credit for an internship as part of your degree requirements; for others it is optional. The process for gaining credit for internships varies for each college. To learn how to get credit for your major/program contact your academic advisor.

Career & Internship Services offers CFAN 3096: Making the Most of Your Professional Experience a course which meets Experiential Learning Graduation Requirements for many CFANS majors.