Preparing for Internships and Co-ops - The Career Center

Preparing for Internships and Co-opsDonna RushJuliette McDonaldMost people are familiar with the paradox, youcan’t get a job without experience and you can’tget experience without a job. One way of solvingthis dilemma is by doing an internship or co-op.Internships are typically defined as one-time workexperiences where students with a certain amountof academic preparation (typically 30+ semesterhours) work under the supervision of a practicingprofessional. Co-ops are paid, multisemester work/study programs which enable students to combineclassroom learning with practical, on-the-jobexperience. Both of these opportunities are availablethroughout the year, although there tend to be moreduring the summer semester. Depending on thespecific internship, it may be paid or unpaid, fulltimeor part-time, involve more observing or more“hands-on” experiences, and you may or may notobtain academic credit.Benefits Of An Internship /Cooperative EducationWhen deciding whether you would like to do aninternship or co-op, it may be useful to considersome of the advantages of such an experience. Forinstance, it may allow you to:obtain exposure to fields of interestmake contacts (expand your network)learn what it is like in an organizationalenvironmentgain a sense of self-confidence andprofessionalismbring classroom learning to lifeincrease your marketability by expandingyour portfolio and resumenarrow your focus and clarify career goalslearn and understand the jargon of aprofessionlearn what is expected of someone in this typeof workpotential to earn an income to support youreducationWhat’s InsideGeneral Recommendations...........................2Internship/Co-op Do’s and Don’ts ............2Ways to Get Started .......................................3Helpful Web Sites...........................................4Conclusion ......................................................4

General RecommendationsThe following list of activities regarding what todo before, during, and after an internship/ co-op isdrawn from the professional literature in this area:21.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.Start your search early (ideally one semesterprior to the semester you would like to startyour work experience).Identify what you want from the experience.Talk with peers and professionals to identifysuitable environments for learning; ifpossible, do not limit yourself to one type ofemployer or geographical location.Identify target organizations and make themaware of your interests and enthusiasm byproviding all the information they require.Prepare a resume geared toward seeking aninternship or co-op.Turn to family, friends, teachers, andprevious employers for advice about where toapply and what openings are available.Find out what GPA the organization requires(as a rule, you should not make below a C inyour coursework).During the interview, articulate your pastaccomplishments and relate them to yourfuture contributions to the organization.(You may want to register with the CareerCenter and participate in a Mock Interview topractice your interview skills.)Before accepting an offer, review how wellthe internship/co-op matches your goals.10. Once you have secured your position, readMaking the Most of Your Internship/Co-opExperience at career.fsu.edu/ccis/guides/making_most_experience.html.11. During your internship/co-op, monitor youractivities closely to get a feel for where you fitin the “big picture.”12. Throughout your internship/co-op you canestablish numerous contacts and develop apersonal file or portfolio of all your significantwork experiences. Gather artifacts for yourCareer Portfolio, www.portfolio.fsu.edu.13. Obtain recommendation letters from yoursupervisors.14. Once the internship/co-op is completed, senda thank you note to your employer.Internship/Co-op Do’s and Don’tsDO15. Last of all, compare your internship/co-op expectations to the realities of yourexperience.DON’TNetworkBe honest and ethicalDisplay energy and enthusiasmMaintain professionalismTake initiativeAssert yourselfTake your position seriously, whether paid ornon-paidComplete menial tasks quickly and ask formore challenging workEnsure that all work assignments are accurateand completed in a timely mannerSay no to assignmentsBe late or absent from workDo homework on the jobMake personal telephone callsWait for someone to give you assignmentsGossipWays to Get StartedThere are several ways one can go about pursuing aninternship/co-op. The following ways need not bemutually exclusive. In fact, you may find combiningthese to be very beneficial.Visit the Career Center and speak withan advisor about internship or co-opopportunities.Use the various resources available in the FSUCareer Center Library, DSC 1200.Contact organizations directly.Utilize your networking contacts (professors,friends, and relatives).Research employers and do keyword searches(e.g. engineering internships) through theInternet.Preparing for Internships and Co-op

Check with your academic department aboutpotential opportunities.Attend various career fairs sponsored by theCareer Center (Seminole Futures, EngineeringDay, and Communication Career AwarenessDay).Create your own experience here bynetworking.SeminoleLinkRegister with the Career Center and receiveauthorization for Plus! services throughSeminoleLink, an online jobs database. Onceregistered, you will have the ability to:Search, view, and apply to co-op, internship,and other job postings.;View and sign-up for on-campusinterveiwing.Add/remove your resume into FSU ResumeBooks for employers to search.Receive e-mail notification of jobs that matchyour qualifications.Participate in a Mock Interview to help youpractice your interviewing skills.To upgrade to SeminoleLink Plus!Go to career.fsu.edu.Click on SeminoleLink.Log in with your Blackboard FSU ID andpassowrd.Upload your resume under the “Documents”tab and complete your profile.View the online orientation on the “Home”tab under “Announcements.”Submit the Plus! authorization request locatedon the SeminoleLink home page. Within 48hours, our staff will check your account andadd Plus! services.Career ExpositionsThe Career Center hosts several expos each semester,such as Seminole Futures and Engineering Day.These expos allow students to talk with employersabout career-related internships, co-ops, volunteerand summer employment opportunities, as well aspermanent, full-time employment. Many of theseemployers return later in the semester to conductinformation sessions and on-campus interviews forco-op and internship positions, as well as full-timejobs.Career Center LibraryThe Career Center Library has a variety of resourcesand information on internships and co-ops. Twoways of obtaining an overview of these resources arethrough the use of our Career Key computer and/or Module XII, Get Experience. Career Key generatesa list of resources containing internship or co-opinformation. Career Center Library resources,including files, directories, and books, providegeneral information about the benefits of doing aninternship or co-op, suggestions about the selectionof a site, and individuals’ personal reflections ontheir experiences. These resources may be used tofind out more about what an internship or co-opis, to learn more about each of these opportunities,and to provide assistance in developing a list oforganizations to contact. In addition to including alist of resources, Module XII, Get Experience, providesinformation on other activities that will assist you infinding out about internships.Helpful Web SitesThe FSU Career Center maintains listings of links toexternal web sites that have information about intern,co-op, volunteer, summer employment, and otherexperiential learning opportunities. These web pagesare outside of FSU; therefore, they are not under ourcontrol. We take no responsibility for the accuracy ofcontent or availability of these sites.AfterCollege Internshipshttp://www.aftercollege.com/BackdoorJobs.comhttp://www.backdoorjobs.com/CampusAccesshttp://www.campusaccess.com/CampusCareerCenter.comhttp://www.campuscareercenter.comThe Carter Centerhttp://www.cartercenter.org/College Marketplacehttp://www.collegemarketplace.com/Preparing for Internship and Co-op 3

Cool Workshttp://www.coolworks.com/Idealist.orghttp://idealist.orgINROADShttp://www.inroads.org/Institute for Experiential Learninghttp://www.ielnet.org/Intern Abroadhttp//www.internabroad.com/search.cfmInternJobs.comhttp://www.internjobs.com/Internships.comhttp://internships.com/Internships4Youhttp://www.internships4you.com/InternshipPrograms.comhttp://www.internshipprograms.comInternweb.comhttp://www.internweb.com/Jobs.nethttp://jobs.netJob Postings Magazine & Online Networkhttp://www.jobpostings.netJob Webhttp://www.jobweb.com/Making the Differencehttp://www.makeadifference.org/Monstertrakhttp://www.monstertrak.comNational Internship Directoryhttp://www.internsearch.com/PlanetEduhttp://www.planetedu.com/Resort Intern Connectionhttp://www.resortinternconnection.com/Rising Star Internshipshttp://rinternships.comSouthern Newspaper Publishers Associationhttp://www.snpa.org/Sponsor for Educational Opportunityhttp://www.seo-usa.org/The Student Conservation Associationhttp://www.thesca.org/The Student Search Systemhttp://www.studentsearch.com/Summer Jobshttp://www.summerjobs.com/Walt Disney College Programhttp://wdwcollegeprogram.com/The Washington Center for Internshipshttp://www.twc.edu/Yahoo! Hot Jobshttp://www.hotjobs.comConclusionThis guide has provided some general informationabout internships and co-ops. Given the variabilityof what these experiences may entail (e.g., academiccredit, “hands-on” experience), it is important toinvestigate what the particular internship/co-opyou are pursuing provides, to see if it will meetyour needs. By having an awareness of the benefitsof doing an internship/co-op, you can really focusin on what you want to gain from the experienceand seek out activities that relate to this goal. Theinformation on general recommendations and “do’s”and “don’ts,” can serve as a guide to keep in mindthroughout the internship/co-op process. Now is thetime to get started. Our Career Advisors and CEOstaff are ready and eager to help you in your pursuitof an internship or co-op position.850.644.6431 • career.fsu.eduAlternative Format Available.Revised 11/08 Pub ID: 43