Tips for Finding Internships

As the weather heats up and Spring makes its way through NC State, the end of this semester gets closer and closer. Summer is a great time for students to rest and take time off, but also a great chance to start internships. Now is the time to start applying for internships for either this summer or the Fall semester, but it is hard to know where to start. I had a really hard time looking for internships for this summer a few months ago because I felt like I didn’t know where to start. I know I’m not alone, and even if you have had an internship before, a little refresher is always helpful.

I got the chance to talk to Sarah Wild who is a career counselor at our NC State Career Development Center. She has worked in this area professionally for 8 years and currently serves 4,000 undergraduate sophomores to graduate students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The first thing Sarah suggested doing is to reflect on a couple of career areas you are interested in. Even if you do know what you want to do after graduation, internships are a great opportunity to explore your interests. Interning in a career area of interest can tell you a lot about a career area and if it is right for you or not. So brainstorm a few different areas of interest before you search.

A source that Sarah recommends, if you need help with brainstorming, is to explore career options with your degree with the “What Can I Do With This Major” online resource from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. On this website, you can select your major, and it will provide you with information on different areas of interest associated with that degree, types of employers that hire within that area, strategies, and more. Another resource you can use is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (or the “OOH”) to also explore other possible careers.

After brainstorming, the best first place to check out is ePACK. This system is available for all NC State students and gets updated with new opportunities every day. The second best place to look is CareerShift. This program is a search engine that has all publicly-posted opportunities in one place. CareerShift is a private tool made available for students and recent alumni. Only employment opportunities that have been listed within the last 30 days are listed on this site – no expired internships or jobs! There are a variety of search options you can use, including sponsorship for international students, the option to have a remote job, or an in-person job. You can access CareerShift through ePACK by going to the “Pathways & Other Resources tab.” Sarah also recommends LinkedIn as a great place to search for internships.

Another way you can find internships is through faculty in your department. Lots of professors often offer internships to students. It is important to build a relationship with any of your professors if you are interested in their field of study and research. Faculty can also post internship opportunities in newsletters or even just on posters in the building they work at. Keep an eye out for these opportunities because they can land you an internship with a faculty member who can write you a letter of recommendation later on.

Career fairs are also a great way to connect with employers and see what kinds of jobs are available. Lots of opportunities to attend career fairs, and career fair prep, are offered throughout the semester. Make sure to check the Career Development Center website to keep up with these dates and make plans to attend. It is a great way to get information about the job and talk to the people you could be working with.

During this process, it is important to keep up with various materials that will help you. Make sure you have outstanding application materials, such as your resume and cover letters. This will be your first interaction with an employer, so make sure you stand out. Some good advice from Sarah is to make sure you remain organized, such as keeping a list of positions you’ve applied for, when you applied, saving job descriptions, etc. Having this information when an employer reaches out to you will help you!

Another piece of advice is to remain confident. Applying for jobs and internships can feel defeating, especially if you are denied opportunities. But remember to also remain confident in yourself because that confidence will help in landing an internship. Remember, where you are in your education, you are still getting a college degree, and that is so important; don’t underestimate your abilities. This goes for freshmen and sophomores too. Apply as early as you can, some employers prefer freshman and sophomores so keep an eye out and apply. You can also try to participate in shadowing opportunities to add to your resume. The final piece of advice is don’t wait until your senior year to find an internship. Start early, the sooner the better.

Whatever step of the process you are in, if you have any questions or concerns about finding an internship, I strongly encourage you to contact Sarah, Eric Haddleton, or the Career Development Center. You can make an appointment with them or visit them during the drop-in hours. They will be one of the best support systems you will have during this process and they will help you with any application materials (such as resumes and LinkedIn profiles) and also prepare you for interviews. Wherever you are in this process, the Career Development Center team will meet you where you are and work from there. Sarah is also so cool and easy to talk to, and she is just so helpful with everything. I encourage you to reach out and use this resource to your benefit.

Good luck with your internship process, I hoped this helped!

This post was written by Maddie Bain, a Department of Sociology and Anthropology Student Ambassador majoring in criminology with minors in psychology and forensic science.