Most industries start hiring individuals to fill internship positions during the winter and spring terms, according to Miranda Schmitz, internship and employment developer for the Career Development Center.
However, Schmitz also notes that it is never too early to start looking into internship opportunities.
As per different colleges’ requirements within Oregon State University, Schmitz says that it is common that they require internships for graduation, while some expect students to take initiative on their own.
For instance, the kinesiology program within the College of Health requires that students have three experiential learning credits for graduation.
Dee Gillen, experiential learning coordinator for kinesiology, says internships provide students with opportunities for career exploration, finding mentors, applying classroom skills to real-world situations and building work experience for a resume.
Gillen describes summer as a great time to do internships because students may have fewer school responsibilities.
Additionally, many businesses offer extra internship opportunities in the summer, according to Gillen, which provides students with a chance to make professional connections, both local and abroad.
Gillen likens internships to shopping for clothes.
“Sometimes you got to try it on to see if it fits you. And sometimes you maybe find something you never thought you would like and you love it, or you figure out you didn’t like it,” Gillen says.
Fred Polinder, assistant director of career development & experiential learning, offers “three buckets of effort” that are ways to help students secure internships. Those are: information gathering, relationship building and applying oneself strategically.
Through these means, Polinder says that applications can be tailored to opportunities to make students more appealing in the hiring process.
As students apply for internships, Polinder notes the importance of building specific resumes and cover letters to show recruiters that an applicant knows what potential they bring to the given role.
Polinder recommends students set external goals for themselves with specific deadlines, such as looking at three postings every Saturday morning until they get an internship.
If students need help finding internships, resources recommended by Schmitz are Handshake, a platform the Career Development Center offers that lists internship opportunities, or attending career fairs and workshops, such as “Getting a Dam Job,” OSU’s career workshop series.
Schmitz also recommends that students reach out to their college’s career development personnel, such as the above-mentioned Fred Polinder, who works in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.
“There’s a lot of resources that are here that you’re paying for, so please don’t be afraid to use them,” Schmitz says.