What is an internship?
An internship is the opportunity to experience a work environment, contribute to the mission of an organization, and gain experience in a particular field. These opportunities can be paid or unpaid positions, academic/credit-bearing or not, and can vary widely in the number of hours spent on site.
Why do an internship?
• Most employers tell us that real world experience in a work environment is one of the major considerations they take into account in hiring college graduates. If a student shows interest in a particular career area, follows up with an experience in that field through an internship, and receives a strong recommendation from the internship site, he/she becomes a more attractive applicant for a position, and is more likely to be hired.
• Adding an internship to your college experience shows initiative, motivation, time management and organizational skills. These are qualities most employers are looking for.
• An internship experience can help you rule out careers you may have thought were perfect for you, or help you solidify your decision about a pursuing a particular career.
• An internship lets you explore a work environment, and determine what organizational culture best
suits your work style.
• You may meet people who will be able to serve as references for you in the future, or could be terrific networking contacts to help you find full-time employment after you graduate.
What skills will I acquire through an internship?
In most positions, you will develop a wide variety of skills that are transferable to most workplaces. These include skills in:
Teamwork
Leadership
Time management
Oral and written communication
Flexibility and adaptability
Initiative
Motivation and enthusiasm
Organization and planning
Interpersonal interactions
Analysis and problem solving
What types of internships are available at Saint Michael’s College?
Internships are available in 3 areas: non-academic internships, academic internships and opportunities through study abroad.
How do I find out about these programs?
Non-academic Internships: The Student Resource Center coordinates the non-academic internship opportunities. We have a section in our career library devoted to internship listings where you will find a variety of opportunities in many industries. We are happy to meet with you one-on-one to assist you in your search for the internship that best suits your needs. Once you have made a connection with a prospective supervisor, we will gracefully bow out of the process to let you work out the details of your position as to number of hours worked, scheduling, and the work you do. As there will be no supervisor here at the College to monitor your work, we ask that once you decide on a site, you make and honor your commitment for a certain length of time and work out the details with your on-site supervisor. Please come into our office to browse through the listings and materials available (see attached listing). If you cannot find an internship that meets your needs, we encourage you to make an appointment with a career counselor at x2547 to discuss your options.
Once you have chosen a site and have arranged for your non-academic work, please inform our office so that we may pull the posting from our listings.
Academic Internships: Academic internships are coordinated through Joanne LaBrake Muehlberger, the Director of Academic Internships. Her office is located in the Klein Academic Enrichment Center Room 114, and she can be reached at x2314 or by e-mail at jlabrake@smcvt.edu. Academic internships, as the name implies, are for academic credit and require a minimum GPA of 2.7. There is a practicum associated with your experience, and you will be expected to work a defined number of hours at the internship site per week. Sites must be confirmed the semester before you actually do the internship. Be aware that there are deadlines and paperwork to be completed in a timely manner. Watch for mandatory information sessions at the beginning of each semester.
Opportunities through Study Abroad: Some study abroad programs also offer the opportunity to do an internship. Contact Peggy Imai, Director of Study Abroad, Klein Academic Enrichment Center Room 118, at x2222 or pimai@smcvt.edu. Applications for study abroad can be due one or two semesters before you plan to leave campus – check with the Study Abroad Office for application deadline dates.
If you are planning to study abroad and want to do an academic internship the semester you return to campus, you MUST begin the process BEFORE you leave the country. Please make an appointment with Joanne LaBrake Muehlberger in the Academic Internship Office at least one month before your departure.
Are there any other opportunities for “internships” or experience in certain areas?
At SMC, you can take a Practicum or Internship Class for a particular major, such as Journalism, Business Administration, or Education (1 semester); or Psychology (requires a commitment of 2 semesters). You may be able to do an independent study project with a faculty member. Check with your academic advisor to see if this is possible. In addition, projects coordinated through the MOVE office will give you experience in some social and human services areas.
An internship is a wonderful opportunity to enhance your classroom learning with “on the job” experience. We encourage you to take advantage of an internship, if at all possible, during your education at Saint Michael’s.
INTERNSHIP RESOURCES as of September 2006
Saint Michael's Student Resource Center Resources:
• In-state and out-of-state internship postings
• Check out the bulletin board in the SRC hallway for additional internship positions
• Internships USA (Career Education Institutes) Check out this great resource in the SRC!
List of Student Resource Center Career Library Books:
America's Top Internships, 2000 Edition, Princeton Review Publishing (1999)
The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures, Michael Landes (2005)
The Congressional Internship Book 2003-2005-Internships with the 108th Congress, Career Education Institutes (2003)
Directory of International Internships: A World of Opportunities, Charles A. Gliozzo & Vernicka K. Tyson (1998)
For the Common Good; Internships with Social and Community Service Agencies, Career Education Institutes (2003)
The History Internship Book 2004, Career Education Institutes (2003)
The Human Rights Internship Book 2004, Career Education Institutes (2003)
The Insider’s Guide to Political Internships, edited by Grant Reeher & Mack Mariani (2002)
International Internships 2004, Carlyle Corporation (2004)
The Internship Bible; The Princeton Review, 2002 Edition, Mark Oldman and Samer Hamadeh (2001)
Internships 2004, 24th Edition, Peterson’s (2003)
Internships in International Affairs 2003, Career Education Institutes (2002)
Internships with America’s Advertising Agencies 2005, Career Education Institutes (2005)
The Media Internship Book 2004, Career Education Institutes (2004)
National Directory of Arts Internships 2001/2002, 8th Edition, Edited by Warren Christensen & Ron Clawges (2000)
2003-2004 National Directory of Scholarships, Internships, and Fellowships for Latino Students, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
The Resort Internship and Seasonal Employment Guide 2005, Career Education Institutes (2004)
Vault Top Internships, 2005 edition
Washington Internships in Law and Policy 2004, Career Education Institutes (2004)
Women’s Rights Internship Book 2006, Career Education Institutes (2006)
Internet Sites:
Best Bets for Internships Abroad – through the University of California, Irvine
http://www.cie.uci.edu/iop/internsh.html
California Polytechnical list of internship sites:
http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/Students/Coop/Internshiplinks.htm
Careerbuilder
http://www.careerbuilder.com
under quick job search, in “keyword”, put “internships” and click on “search”
Coolworks
http://coolworks.com/internships.htm
College Grad Job Hunter Internship Search:
http://www.collegegrad.com/internships
Department of Commerce’s Central and Eastern Europe Business Information Center (CEEBIC)
http://mac.doc.gov/ceebic/ceebicinternships.htm
Federal Government internship opportunities:
http://careers.state.gov/student/
Environmental Internships:
http://www.eco.org
Inroads – college internships for minorities
http://www.inroads.org/
Internships and Summer Jobs – through the College at Wooster
http://www.wooster.edu/career/summer.html
InternshipPrograms.com
http://www.internshipprograms.com/
Internweb.com
http://www.internweb.com/
Internship and Volunteer Opportunities in Developing Countries:
http://www.globalservicecorps.org
Internships @ MTV Networks
https://jobhuntweb.viacom.com/jobhunt/main/internships.asp
JobWeb
http://www.jobweb.com
Journalism Internships
http://www.journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs choose internships
Monster Campus Internships
http://campus.monster.com/
National Endowment for the Humanities – summer fellows program
http://www.neh.gov/
Quintessential Careers – Internship listings
http://www.quintcareers.com/grad_internships.html
PreserveNet:
http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu/employ.html
Resort Intern Connections
http://resortinternconnection.com
Rising Star Internships
http://www.rsinternships.com/rshome.htm
Skidmore College links to internship sites:
http://www.skidmore.edu/administration/career/interncentral.htm
Smithsonian Institute Internship Opportunities:
http://www.si.edu/ofg/internopp.htm
Student Conservation Association:
http://www.thesca.org
Television Internships – networks and stations:
http://www.tvjobs.com/intern.htm
United States Department of State Internships
http://www.state.gov/www/careers/rinterncontents.html
Walt Disney World Internships:
http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com
also note that Walt Disney World recruits at Champlain College twice a year for internship positions (check the SRC Workshop Calendar for the dates) and SMC students are eligible
Washington Center for internships in Washington, DC:
http://www.twc.edu
Whitehouse
http://whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html
Disclaimer for Internship Sites
Saint Michael’s College Student Resource Center provides this listing of Web sites to our students as a free service. This list does not imply an endorsement of these sites or organizations by Saint Michael’s College. The SRC is unable to research each organization, and provide assurance as to the safety, wages, working conditions or other aspects of these internship opportunities. We encourage you to verify the specific information pertaining to each opening by using the Career Library Resources, reading organizational literature, searching the Internet or by meeting with a career counselor.