How to Find an Internship in College

Internships are an important part of any college student's repertoire. Not only do internships give the student experience that he/she can use on a resume, the internship may also give the student an opportunity to decide if he/she really wants to work in a certain field. The internship may reveal to a side of a business that was never considered, or the internship may give insight that will aide in deciding whether a certain career is suitable for the individual. The benefits a student gets from completing an internship are priceless, and that is why it is so important to find a good one. This guide is to help students find an internship that will benefit them now and in the future.

Finding an Internship

The search for internships is daunting. The standard way to find internships is through the university's career center, but this requires competing with numerous other students for what is usually just one position. Another typical route requires visiting career fairs or expos. These are usually informative, but yet again, the companies that attend may have positions that students from across the country are trying to fill. Therefore, it is important to at least look for a few internships on your own, so the competition isn't as stiff.

School Clubs are a great place to find internship opportunities. Professional clubs are the best at producing key speakers, who would be willing to offer club members internships. However, if a professional club cannot be found, any club will do. Clubs often network with businesses that are located close to the university, and if you happen to meet a business representative at the meeting, you'll get extra points for being in a school organization. Remember: recruiters want intelligent individuals who can balance school, work, extracurricular, etc. Therefore, they will probably be much interested in hiring someone that they met at a school organization meeting.

CareerBuilder.com is another good place to find an internship. If you search for jobs that you would like in the future, you can find companies close by that specialize in your career aspirations. Once you've found the company or a list of companies that you would be interested in, take some initiative and e-mail or write someone at the company. Not all companies post internship opportunities on the company's website, yet they still budget for interns. This is potentially untapped money that you could be paid, while you complete your internship and gain valuable information about the field.

Professors are another amazing resource when it comes to gaining internship or field experience. Many professors know about internships, but if they don't know you and your goals, they may never tell you about them. Maintain a good relationship with your professors. Gather their e-mail addresses and send out a mass e-mail inquiring about internship or field experience opportunities. You'll be surprised about how many opportunities will show up.

There are many ways to find internships; you just have to think outside of the box sometimes. Remember that good relationships with your peers and professors will make it easier for you to network later.