Finding an Internship

Clarify Your Goals
When conducting an internship search, many students go straight to job postings and skip this critical step. Your internship is only as valuable as the time, thought, and effort you put into your experience.  Before beginning your internship search, think about what you want to gain from your experience. A meaningful choice of an internship is going to be far more beneficial to your future career.  

Questions to consider:
Goals
Do you want to explore an unknown career field? Select a major?
Gain experience within your chosen field?
What types of projects would you like to be involved in?
What skills would you like to develop?
Logistics
Do you need a local internship?
Can you accept an internship in another state, or even another country?
When would be the best time for you to complete an internship? Summer? Semester?
Can you accept an unpaid position?
Do you want to receive credit towards graduation? Does your major require internships?

Research/Find Positions
The process of finding an internship is the same process you will use to find a full-time position after graduation. Begin by researching companies or looking through position postings to find opportunities.  Narrowing your search based on the answers to the above questions will be helpful.

BodJobs
BodJobs is a job and internship search site specifically for Washburn students! Your free account allows you to search through internship and full- or part-time job postings. BodJobs also allows you to upload your resume, apply for positions, search the Employer Database, sign up for on-campus interviews and learn about upcoming Career Services events.

Internships.com
Internships.com is an internship posting site that includes the ability to search by major/interest area, compensation type, and location (includes all regions of the United States and international listings).  Access to Internships.com is free for any Washburn student. Instructions on how to access Internships.com are located in the Resource Library section of the BodJobs homepage. You will need to create a BodJobs account before you can use Internships.com. Many up-to-date internships are listed so be sure to check out this valuable tool!
Click here to go to BodJobs and Internships.com!

Academic Department
Your academic department may have information about internships available for your major. Check with your department advisor to see what resources are available.

Career Services website
Look under the Student & Alumni Services tab for additional resources including:

1. Links to recent articles on job search topics
2. Access What Can I Do With This Major handouts
3. View the campus recruiting schedule
4. Learn about upcoming WU workshops and career fairs and other local career events
5. Conduct employer and career research
6. Connect to job search sites, organized by location and interest area

Career Fairs
Career Fairs are a great way to meet with potential internship employers. WU Career Services organizes the Career and Graduate School Fair every September and the Career Fair each February. Both events are held in Lee Arena and are open to all students, alumni, and community members. Prior to each event, a list of attending employers can be found on our Career Fairs & Interview Days webpage. Information on other career fairs can also be found here.

Before attending a Career Fair, update and polish your resume and research the companies attending. Target a few that interest you and prepare questions specific to that employer. Be sure to know your internship goals and what you have to offer an employer before attending the fair. 

Professional Organizations
Many professional organizations encourage student participation through student chapters or lower student membership fees. Joining an organization can provide networking opportunities and allow you to attend conferences in your area of interest. Organizations may have their own job search sites where you can look for internship opportunities.

Creating your own internship
Not finding the type of experience you are seeking? Have the perfect experience with the ideal company in mind? Consider approaching an organization about creating your own internship. While these internships are less likely to be paid, creating your own internship can be a very rewarding experience. The key is to target a specific organization and how your skills and experience can assist the employer. Try approaching smaller, local business with your resume and several ideas on how you can benefit the organization. Larger organizations often have a formal internship program already in place, but smaller organizations offer more flexibility to create new internships.

Next topic