7. How do I find internships or other relevant experience?
Gaining experience outside the classroom is very important in preparing
for a career in business, especially if your major does not directly
relate to the career you want to pursue. Most students immediately
assume that what they need is an internship. While internships are very
valuable, they are not the only way to gain experience before you enter
the world of work.
Study Abroad
Many students do not realize that there may be opportunities to do internships
while studying abroad. Contact Learning Abroad Center for more information.
Internships
An internship is an opportunity to gain real-life experience (paid or unpaid)
doing the work of an employee in your career area of interest. Ideally this
experience allows a student to try out many aspects of the job and to apply
skills learned in the classroom environment. While you may select academic
options that allow you to get credit in conjunction with your internship, an
internship by definition does not have to be credit bearing. The following are
tips on how to find internship opportunities:
- Visit CCLC to view internship postings geared toward CLA students.
- Use Gold
Pass, the New Job Database for
jobs and internships http://goldpass.umn.edu
- Network! A large percentage of students find
internships through word of mouth and by cold calling companies of
interest. To learn more attend the Job Search Strategies
Workshop offered by the Career and Community Learning
Center.
- Review the Internship Bible or other internship
directories (available in 135 Johnston
Hall) to brainstorm internship opportunities available nation wide.
- Visit the CCLC
web site for links to internship sites on the World Wide Web.
- Last, consider proposing an unpaid internship
with an organization of interest. Many people will take the free help in
exchange for teaching you the ropes!
Community Service Work
Community service is a great
way to develop experience outside of the classroom, especially for
those who have interest in putting their business skills to work in a
non-profit organization. A program on campus called Community
Empowerment through Learning and Leadership, http://www.cclc.umn.edu
better known as CELL, helps students set up volunteer opportunities.
The staff works hard to help you find an opportunity to give back to
the community that also builds transferable skills. Service learning courses allow you to blend class requirements with community work. This is a
great way to volunteer and build skills while gaining course credit.
Jobs
Sometimes, when students find jobs with higher
responsibility levels that relate to their career path, there may not
be significant difference from an internship. Consider visiting the
Office of Human Resources to view student opportunities available both on and off campus.
Campus Involvement
Campus involvement opportunities
can develop skills for those who many not be ready for an internship.
Consider joining a student organization and serving as treasurer, or
join LeaderQuest or SpeakerQuest to develop strong communication
skills.
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