Internships
What Is An Internship?
It is an excellent way to gain practical experience within a field of interest. Many opportunities are available year-round, and most coincide with an academic semester or a summer break. Positions may be paid or unpaid. It is never too early to start taking advantage of internships and exploring professions that you are interested in.
Top 3 Reasons To Do An Internship:
- Internships are a quick way to develop professional skills and practical knowledge that employers expect while also evaluating a prospective career path.
- Over 86% of students report that they have done one or more internships during their time in college (according to the National Association of Colleges & Employers), so internships make you competitive in today's marketplace.
- Internships can help you develop a network of professional contacts in a particular field. and, in some cases, may lead to long-term career offers.
Begin Your Search!
Check out the various Internship/Job resources available via FandMConnect.com > Jobs/Internships (tab)
- FandMConnect Jobs/Internships: Listings targeting F&M students
- Internships USA: Field specific internship directories (including: Social Service, Congressional, Green Programs, Sports Advertising & Marketing, and more)
- Artsearch: Database of internships in the fine arts industry
- Spotlight on Careers: Career exploration site with links to field-specific internships
Vault Guide to Top Internships 2009: 600 pages of internship profiles! Search using the Appendix by any of the following criteria:
- Internships by Education level (those accepting Freshman are included)
- Internships by Work Authorization (those accepting International students)
- Internships by Compensation (Paid, Unpaid, Academic Credit)
- Internships by Location
- Internships by Industry
To access this Top Internship guide please follow these instructions:
On the FandMConnect.com homepage - under quick links > click Vault Online Career Library
Once you are in the Online Career Library > click Download Guides (tab)
Scroll down to Vault Guide to Top Internships 2009 (in the left-hand column) > click Download now
The Top Internships guide will then be emailed to you as a PDF and you can begin searching!
- Set up an informational interview with an alumnus who has experience in your prospective field can give you a sense of what the field is like and which organizations fit your goals.
- FandMConnect.com has an extensive listing of alumni where you can send messages to alumni inquiring about prospective careers.
- Talking about your career goals with personal contacts, professors, and stafff may open up unforeseen opportunities. Career Services organizes events throughout the year that bring potential employers including alumni and parents to campus to mentor and recruit students for jobs and internships.
Develop Your Own Internship
- If you locate an organization and find they do not have an internship program, you can contact them to discuss creating an internship.Be prepared to show what value you can add to the organization and why you want to work specifically for them.
