Students
What is an internship & why do I need one?
An internship is a carefully monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning through the experience (The National Society of Experiential Education). This is an on-site quality work experience directly related to career goals and/or field of interest. Internships are typically one-time work or service experiences related to a student's major or career goal. An internship is often the "bridge" between your LCC degree or certificate program and professional life, allowing you to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a professional setting.
Benefits of an internship
- Gain career-related experience to build your resume
- Expand your knowledge of career options
- Increase confidence in skills and abilities
- Develop a clearer picture of a personal career direction
- Learn how to work more effectively in an organizational environment
- Build your professional network
- Many companies hire their interns upon graduation, according to the National Association of College & Employers, 70% of employers say that they hire their interns for full-time positions after graduation before looking elsewhere
- Possibly receive college credit. Contact the internship coordinator or academic advisor for your program to see if you could earn credit for an internship
Finding an internship
You can never start looking for an Internship early enough. Internships are competitive and have application deadlines. Spend time researching requirements for applying. Ideally you should start searching for an Internship about 6 months before you want the Internship to take place, especially if you are looking for an internship during the summer months.
Where to start looking for internships or other experiential learning experiences:
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CES JobLink (LCC's web-based employment system). To register for CES JobLink go to lcc.experience.com. (CES recommends using the Mozilla Firefox browser)
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LCC Career & Employment Services (CES) links you to all campus-wide career fairs, resume building workshops and job opportunities on and off campus. Upcoming events are listed on http://www.lcc.edu/ces/
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Company web sites
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Student Organizations provide valuable information regarding internship opportunities
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Your Program Internship Coordinator and your instructors
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Networking (ask around): Contact individuals you may know who work in your field of interest
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Job shadowing: job shadowing gives you a chance to observe daily office activities, ask questions, and consider the potential pros and cons of a particular industry or profession.
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Non-Profits: Non-Profit organizations are always looking for volunteers and this serves as a great way to meet people and open doors to a possible internship in your future. Check out www.volunteermatch.org
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Professional organizations (PO): Most industries have a professional organization local chapter available to students as well as employees in the field. Weddles Association Directory (www.weddles.com/associations/) is a great place to begin searching for the PO related to your career field.
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Cold-calling is still one of the best ways to find interesting opportunities in your field.
Resources to find Internship opportunities
Resumes, Cover Letters, & Interviews -
You want to start applying for internships, now what?
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Applying and interviewing are all about demonstrating your professionalism, experience and how you stand out from the crowd.
- Cater your resume and cover letter to the specific company and position desired
- Avoid trendy language
- Have contacts ahead of time who can provide you with a letter of recommendation, if requested
- Always ask your references to serve as a reference for you, before you give out their name. Then let them know you gave their name to a specific company, who may be calling them about you
- Follow up with a phone call to see where the organization is with the interview process
- Even if you don't get selected for an interview, send a thank-you note. You never know when the other candidates selected may not work out and the employer may have to return to the candidate pool
- Remember that LCC Career & Employment Services can help you polish your resume and prepare you for an interview.
For more information please contact:
Becca Sowa
Internship Development Manager
(517) 483-9810
stierr@lcc.edu
Career and Employment Services
Gannon Bldg, Room 218
Phone: (517) 483-1172
Additional contact information »
