Internship? I can do that later...

Now is the time to start polishing your resume for a summer internship.  Employers are expecting all graduates to not only have the degree, but experience to go along with it!  Internships are no longer optional in an employers eyes, but REQUIRED!!

When to Start
As you start thinking about signing up for classes look to see if there is an internship course listed for your major.  You can arrange your own internship and also get academic credit for the experience.  This is especially helpful if you have some free electives available.

Even if you don't want to do it for academic credit, you should still consider setting up an internship about 2-3 months prior to your expected start date. This means start looking in March for a Summer internship!!

How to get Started
Your professors may have some leads, but definitely check with your campus Career Services office and/or Co-op department on campus.  IPFW's Career Services is located in KT 109 and can be found online at www.ipfw.edu/career.

Career Services may have a program to help you locate an internship, like our program called the Train-A-Don Internship Program.  Usually a safe bet would be to contact your Career Services office and request a resume critique, then use that time to also tell your career counselor about your intentions for an internship.

Other Options
If you have connections at a company and want to create your own internship, that's great!! GO FOR IT!  I do recommend reporting that internship to your Career Services office for 2 reasons:

1. Support if something should go wrong
2. Validating the experience and having it approved by your university

Alternatives to Internships
If you are a student athlete or just don't have time to do an internship because of working full time, consider these options to still get experience related to your career goals:

• Maybe turn your part-time job into an internship. Talk to your current work supervisor and see if you can get more experience in an area of interest.
• Volunteer - this is most appropriate for non-profit work and is great because of the flexibility of time with each organization
• Externship/Job Shadow - take 2-3 days and request a job shadow.  Your Career Services office can help you make connections.
• Student Organization involvement - get involved with committees and leadership roles
• Use spring break to do volunteering, service trips, or something other than partying.  You don't have classes to worry about so take this free time and use the most of it!