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Preparing for the Internship Search
Role of the Internship Office
- To assist students in finding internships and in setting up academic credit for the experience.
- To support students during their internships to ensure they have a successful experience.
Things you should know about internships for credit
o CSB/SJU Internship listings are usually for part-time undergraduate internships.
o Students typically earn 4-8 undergraduate credits for an internship of 10-20 hours per week while they are also taking 2-3 classes.
o There are very few undergraduate internships available to CSB/SJU students for 30 to 40 hours a week (equivalent to 12 to 16 credits) especially in the St. Cloud area. Therefore, a full-time internship during your last semester of school is not usually realistic.
o An undergraduate internship is not the same as a job, but it is an important step and a building block for your resume which will improve your chances of finding employment in your field or being accepted to grad school.
Role of Career Services for Students Seeking Internships
- To assist students seeking jobs and post-graduate internships which will begin after graduation.
Most post-graduate internships are full-time.
- To provide resume critiques and resume and practice interviewing workshops for students seeking both undergraduate internships and jobs.
- To promote job and internship fairs and other events to students and prepare them for getting the most out of attending these events.
Commonly Asked Questions:
As an international student can I work off campus and get paid for a job. The answer is no.
As an international student can I work off campus and get paid for an internship?
Yes, you can if you are registered for academic credit. If the internship work is related to your academics and you have been approved and registered for academic credit you can be paid. However, you must apply for CPT through Addy Spitzer in the International Student office before you register for your internship.
Checklist for Your Sophomore Year
- Identify your strengths and interests
* What classes have you taken that have been the most interesting to you?
* What classes have you done well in?
* Whenever possible select classes in your major that support your professional goals.
- Preparing for an on-campus internship
* Network with administration and faculty--this is very important to your success in finding an on-campus internship.
* Choose work-study that will allow you to develop skills related to professional goals.
* Talk to your work study supervisor about the possibility of turning work study into an internship.
- Academics are important when preparing for the internship search
* Keep your grades up; if you’re not a student in good standing it will be difficult to secure an internship.
* A grade point average of 3.0 or higher will put you in a strong position for obtaining the most competitive internships.
Checklist for your Junior year
- Research organizations that offer internships. Suggested resources:
* Check eLink for online listings of new opportunities. The internship website listings page will connect you to eLink: http://www.csbsju.edu/internship/ops/default.htm
* LandIt! and Internpost are two additional resources and are also found on the internship listings page.
* Check the Internship website listings of ongoing opportunities sorted by field of interest: http://www.csbsju.edu/internship/ops/default.htm
* Use the CANE database of Alums willing to help. Career Center student career assistants on either campus can show you how to use this.
* Attend internship fairs offered to students in your major or field of interest:
http://www.csbsju.edu/internship/internship_calendar.htm#JobFair
* Network—talk to professors, internship and career services staff, family and friends.
- Prepare a draft of a resume and set up an appointment with Career Services staff on either campus to have your resume critiqued
- Define your focus in a specific geographic area.
* Have you made connections on campus with faculty or staff where you might think of interning?
* If you want to intern off campus do you have transportation? In the St. Cloud area or in Minneapolis/St. Paul you will need transportation so plan ahead.
* For summer internships do you have housing? How you will afford to live while you intern?
* Consider other areas of the United States where you may have family or friends who could assist you with the search, transportation and living expenses.
* Network with family and friends in major cities; ask for their help in searching out local internships; it can be cost effective if you can live with family and use public transportation
Checklist for Second Semester Junior Year or First Semester Senior Year
Important to know: The internship search is very much like a job search and is meant to give you experience in conducting a search which will help you when you seek employment after graduation.
* Apply for several internships in your geographic area and areas of interest. You’ll need a professional-looking resume when making application. Visit Career Services for a resume critique.
* Talk to faculty in the department where you plan to earn credit—typically but not always your major department--about support for earning credit and to find a faculty moderator.
* Take advantage of “Practice Interview” sessions offered by Career Services. Check the Career Services website for calendar dates.
* Interview with several internship sites if possible. Be on time for your interview!
* After you’ve accepted an internship offer, make an appointment with the Internship Office to go over the internship registration paperwork.
* Attend the required Legal and Professional Issues session conducted by the Internship Program Coordinator at the end of fall and spring semesters: http://www.csbsju.edu/internship/internship_calendar.htm#LegalSession
* Complete the registration paperwork and get the approval signatures from your faculty moderator, site supervisor, the department chair and the internship coordinator.
* Make an appointment with Addy Spitzer in the International Student Office to apply for CPT.
* Turn in your signed registration forms to the Internship Office before you begin your internship.