What is an Internship?

Purpose of an Internship

  • To participate in a supervised on-the-job learning experience in a potential career field
  • An opportunity to learn the difference between what you think a job is and what it really is
  • An opportunity to be considered for permanent employment
  • A source of networking and developing contacts

Applying for an Internship

Determine What You Want To Do-- MEET WITH CAREER SERVICES STAFF:

  • Asess your skills, interests, values, and personality traits
  • Generate a list of career options that match your characteristics
  • Identify the career area in which you would like to gain experience

Generate a List of Employers

For established inernships:

  • Check the Mount Career Network at www.mountcareernetwork.com for internship opportunities posted by employers interested in hiring MSMC students.
  • Visit the Career Library (H401) and review books and directories regarding internships.
  • Ask for leads from faculty, friends, employers, and family
  • Attend career fairs/days to discuss internship opportunities with college recruiters

Developing your own internship (in addition to the above suggestions):

  • Use listings of already existing internships to get ideas for internships you can develop elsewhere
  • Directly contact any employers that interest you to see if you can create an internship with them
  • Check part-time, full-time, summer, volunteer and temporary openings to see if it can be turned into an internship

Research

For established internships:

  • Visit organizations which interest you
  • Research the company using resources available in the Career Library, on the Internet, magazine articles and newspapers.
  • Utilize the Internet for specific searches in your area of interest. Some suggested links include:
  1. www.internshipprograms.com (extensive lists of internship opportunities by company or by region)
  2. www.excite.come/directory/careers/joblistings/internships (listings of internship web sites)
  3. www.tripod.com/explore/jobs_career/intern-visa/indes.html (extensive internship database)
  4. www.rsinternships.com/rshome.htm (database for students searching for internships and employers searching for interns. Resume posting)
  5. www.nassembly.org/html/search.html (general internship site)
  6. www.careerplanet.com (site sponsored by NACE)
  7. www.monstertrak.com (includes information about full and part-tim jobs in addition to internship opportunities)
  • Determine the details of the internship by:
  1. Speaking to someone who previously held the internship or
  2. Speaking to the person who directly supervises the intern.

Developing your own internship (in addition to the above suggestions):

  • Visit organizations that employ people in your area of interest.
  • Determine what kind of help the organizations might need that could be offered by an intern
  • Design a proposal for a possible internship, include the following:
  1. Learning objectives
  2. Method of acquiring experience (activities, duties, responsibilities)
  3. Academic requirements/credit
  4. Degree and frequency of supervision
  5. Duration of internship
  6. Salary (if applicable)
  7. Range of exposure to organization or department
  8. Method of evaluation or feedback
  9. Work Schedule

Discuss Internships with Academic Advisor (for academic credit)

  • Determine what type of supervision is needed
  • Discuss the type of assignments that must be completed
  • Obtrain approval from the academic advisor

Write a Resume and Cover Letter

  • Visit Career Services for assistance in writing a resume and cover letter
  • In the cover letter, reflect your research of the employer and internship

Apply to the Internship

  • Send resume, cover letter and/or application (observe all deadlines)

Interview

  • Schedule a mock interview with a member of the Career Services staff to practice your interviewing skills
  • Be prepared to sell the diea of an internship as well as selling yourself

Follow-up

  • Send a thank you letter within 24 hours of an interview.
  • To recieve academic credit, fill out an MSMC Internship Proposal form and file it with the Registrar's office.

Contact Career Services at Chalon at (310) 954-4070 or Doheny at (213) 477-2577 and/or career@msmc.la.edu for more information.