Students: Looking for an Internship?

• If you are interested in an internship contact the Internship Coordinator/Academic Advisor in your department and the Career Development Center to help you identify internship opportunities in your career field.
• Timing is very important so start early! If you want a summer internship, start looking during the fall semester. Plan ahead to get the best results.

What Is An Internship?

Benefits To Completing An Internship

Resources Available Through The Career Services Center

Quotes from Student Interns

What Is An Internship?
An Internship is a type of applied learning experience that combines your academic coursework with real-world work experience. It is an opportunity to gain professional experience before graduation. Internships for credit are monitored by faculty and have measurable learning objectives. Some internships lead to full-time career positions with the company. Selection is competitive, therefore it takes planning, professionalism and a significant amount of effort.

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Benefits to Completing an Internship

• Employment: Students with internship experiences stand out from the crowd in the job hunt. In the current Recruiting Trends Report, 50% of reporting employers agreed that students should have one internship experience before graduating from college. The other 50% of reporting employers believed that students should have two or more internships experiences before graduation. As employers continue to look for candidates who have had related professional experience during college, students can improve their candidacy for full-time positions by completing internships.
• Take Charge of Your Learning: Internships are opportunities for you to identify and explore career areas in your field. Experience in these areas gives you greater latitude when choosing a career path or setting career goals. Internships can help in deciding on courses of study for a double major, minor or concentration and give guidance in determining what to pursue in graduate school.
• Theory into Practice: Apply theories learned in the classroom to real-life situations.
• Networking: Meet professionals in your field. Develop contacts that may lead to future employment opportunities. Get exposure to professional organizations.
• Increased Community Involvement: Develop a greater understanding of your role and potential contributions to society.
• Personal Growth: Creative problem solving in real-life situations can bolster your self-confidence and may also show you where you need skills improvement.
• New Environment: A new environment will introduce you to new challenges and opportunities for growth, exposure to the industry and a link to professional contacts.
• Research: It is an opportunity for you to gain information about an industry, a company or an institution to help you in your academic and career exploration process.

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Resources Available Through The Career Development Center
The Career Development Center provides: NACElink, an online job database with internship opportunities as part of our Hire A Griffon, resume development and critiques, video-taped practice interviews, career counseling, networking assistance, employer information sessions, interview days and career fairs, on-campus interviewing and national internship resources.

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Quotes from Student Interns

• The internship program was the most beneficial experience for me. It opened up so many opportunities in the government. The experience was essential in developing the skills needed to pursue a career in politics.
  Ann Stock, Government, Social Work & Sociology
   
• My internship was my ‘golden’ experience. My faculty sponsor helped me work through struggles I had, teaching me practical problem-solving skills that I still use today.
  Melissa Rewinkel, Business Administration.
   
• I interned with Herzog Contracting Corp. in Phoenix, AZ. This internship allowed me to experience first hand the construction problems that my instructors had talked about in classes. The experience I gained will help me in the future when I am faced with similar situation. I recommend that all juniors and seniors should participate in an internship.
  Dustin Dunham, Construction Engineering Technology
   
• My internship empowered me to make decisions and provide product knowledge training to the employees. It was a great way to gain knowledge and experience in a working environment.
  Jamie Grayson, Management

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Take charge of your future
Missouri Western State University
Career Development Center – Eder 202
816.271.4205