Obtaining an internship during your undergraduate years is one of the most beneficial steps that you can take to enhance the competitiveness of your law school application, as well as your résumé for postgraduate work. As a sophomore with a lack of experience in interning, I have a few questions about this topic, so I decided to a do a little research and here are some of the advices that I’ve found:
1. What are some of the benefits of interning?
Not only does interning provide a better chance at getting a job after graduation, they also allow you to become familiar with the routine in the workplace. It is also an opportunity for you to discover whether you are interested in a certain profession or not. Interning also helps you build basic and essential skills necessary for any future work environment, such as organization, interpersonal, as well as communication skills both written and oral. Furthermore, interns are uniquely placed within a work setting where they are not faced with the same pressure of a full-time employee, are more easily forgiven when they make mistakes, and are expected to ask questions. Employers know that interns want to learn, so most of the time a good supervisor will give students some degree of flexibility in which they can maximize their resources and expand their experience.
2. How can internships help me get a job after graduation?
According to the Colorado University State Career Center, employers tend to look for students who have previous experience in the field and workplace. In fact, if you have more than one intern experience, you are twice as likely to get a permanent position for a few reasons: a) government jobs are hard to obtain unless you already have access through an internship, b) employers usually fill from 60% to 85% of their positions with interns, c) the simple fact that multiple employers were willing to hire you speaks to your range of skills and qualifications; your chances of being hired also increase if more than one employer is on your list of references and speaks well of you if contacted.
3. Are summer internships more beneficial than internships during the school year?
Summer internships can be more beneficial because they are easier to find. They are also less stressful because you will not be preoccupied with school.
4. What is a “good” internship?
A good internship will have a set of intentional learning goals (a set of goals that the company set out for their interns to accomplish at the end of the program) that will allow you to apply your knowledge from school to a real workplace. It should provide the opportunity for the developments of decision-making skills, critical thinking skills, as well as an increase in confidence and interest in the field. A good internship also provides you with a supportive staff or supervisor that is willing to train and instruct you. Remember that when you’re looking for a position, it is important to note the atmosphere of the office, organization or agency that you are applying to. You aren’t there just to make coffee for your boss or only to staple and organize files. Of course all interns are expected to provide basic administrative support like filing or photocopying, but you should also be assigned to work that challenges and educates you. If you can, talk to your potential employer and ask what your internship responsibilities and expectations are to gain a better idea of what you’re getting into
5. When should we start looking for a summer internship?
It is recommended that you should look for internships around fall quarter so you will have more time to work with early deadlines. There are also more opportunities available the earlier you start. It is a good idea to take your resume (or personal statement, writing sample, etc) to a writing center or to have a friend review them and to go through multiple drafts. An attention to detail, careful word choices and formatting are important factors that show on your internship applications. Lastly, it is to your advantage to start looking early because your internship may require one or more letter of recommendation. Give your professors and employers enough time to write a thoughtful letter for you. While most opportunities are posted in the fall, you should keep an eye out during the entire year. Sometimes positions open up and some have specific durations that you may want to be aware of.
6. How many internships should I have?
As many as possible! Well, almost. It is important to remember that doing the same internships again and again might actually be counter-productive. Be on the look out for opportunities that really interest you and that you can learn from. Always ask yourself: what will I learn? What skills will I gain? Why do I want to do this? Sometimes the most prestigious office won’t provide the best experience; sometimes a seemingly random opportunity will prove unforgettable and useful. Also, think about what your work experience looks like to an employer: are you erratic or well rounded? Are you specialized, or simply shortsighted, overly specific or repetitive in your experiences? It is fine to take on a variety of opportunities, but be sure to extract what you want to gain from them. Last, but not least, remember to space out your internships. Don’t burn out and don’t take on too much, especially if you have other obligations (such as schoolwork, because grades still matter!). You want to do a good job, wherever you are placed.
7. Where can I find internship opportunities?
Some places where you can find internships are at the Career Center Please feel free to add more questions/answers/links to this topic. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to submit your topics of interest to the PAD Newsletter Committee and I will research them for the next issue!
Sources: http://internships.about.com/od/interviewing/a/InfInterview.htm
-Sarah Huynh, LSJ and Sociology (with the help of Jing-Lan Lee and Courtney Sue-Ako)
www.monstertrak.com
www.internjobs.com
www.internweb.com
www.wetfeet.com
www.idealist.org
http://career.sc.colostate.edu/