Use Your Connections
Need more leads? Speak with teachers, family, former employers, coaches, friends, parents of friends - anyone and everyone you can think of - and ask for contacts in your geographic area and/or career fields of interest. Ask your college’s career and/or alumni office about any networks of alumni or parent volunteers that you can tap as well as any networking events.
Join any LinkedIn groups for your college.
Meet with (or email or call) these individuals for information about careers and advice about conducting your internship search. Read our guide to Informational Interviews for how to get started.
Internships for Graduates
If you're a recent graduate looking for some work experience or are interested in a career change, consider an internship to get an insider's view of a new career field.
It will allow you to gain experience and to decide if this is something you really want to do. Plan your internship search just as you would a job search, but specify when you apply that you're interested in an internship rather than a permanent position.
Using the keyword search component of the major online jobs databases and searching for "intern" or "internship" or "post-graduate internship" is another effective way to generate internship leads.
Be sure to check with your college's Career and Alumni offices to see if they provide internship and job listings to graduates. If it works out, you may even be able to turn a post-graduate internship into a full-time job.
Internship Logistics
Now for the logistics. Internships can be paid or unpaid. It is important to check with the company before you take the position to determine if there is a salary, a stipend, or no compensation.
Academic credit is a possibility for many internships. However, the internship will need to be approved for credit by your college, and you may need a faculty sponsor. The internship sponsor must also agree to supervise and evaluate the internship experience. In many cases, there are school deadlines for applying for credit, so check the guidelines with the appropriate department at your institution before you commit to an internship.
It makes good sense to have a clear idea of what's expected from you, as well as what you can expect from the employer before you start an internship. Discuss the details and the logistics with the internship sponsor before you commit. This discussion will make sure that the internship will be a positive experience for both you and the company. Inquire about any training that you will receive and ask to speak with any current or past interns to find out if they benefited from the internship.
Explore Career Options
Don’t stop at just one internship. If your schedule allows, use internships to explore a variety of different career options. Spending some time actually working at organizations without having to commit to a full-time permanent position will enable you to try out a variety of roles.
