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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

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Internships

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Internships

An internship is…

  • A work experience where you can build professional skills and networks
  • A planned learning experience for which you can earn academic credit
  • An opportunity for you to make connections between the content of your academic work and its application to your field or industry

Why should I do an internship?

  1. It is a chance for you to try out a career or job before committing to it.
  2. You will develop your problem solving skills by working on real world problems and projects.
  3. You'll practice the communication and interpersonal skills you need to be successful in your career.
  4. You'll develop relationships with industry professionals and faculty who can assist in your career development and job searching.
  5. You're likely to have easier access to entry-level positions after graduation, especially at the place you interned if you did a good job.

When should I do an internship?

Begin by discussing the timing of your internship with your advisor. Some students do internships after their freshman year, but many wait until after their sophomore or junior year when they've had more experience with coursework in their discipline. Consider doing more than one internship because you'll get more exposure to the industry and will develop your skills and professionalism even further.

You can do internships in the summer, spring or fall semesters. Full and part-time internships are possible.

Where can I get more information or help?

  • Your advisor or other faculty in your department are likely to have leads to internships, based on their professional connections or on what previous advisees have done.
  • Join the student organization that's associated with your major. Other students who have already interned are great sources of information.
  • Visit CALS Career Services for the following services:
  1. Find out about upcoming career fairs where employers are looking for interns
  2. Sign up for eRecruiting, upload your resume, search for internships, let employers search for you
  3. Review lists of places that students with your interests have interned. Read their final reports to find out what they thought of their experience.
  4. Find out which employers will be conducting campus interviews to fill intern positions.
  5. Review the Internship Booklet to guide you through the process and answer common questions.