AWIS MAGAZINE, Volume 27, Number 3, Summer 1998

SCIENCE EDUCATION

So You’re Thinking About Doing an Internship?

by Deborah D. Stine, PhD, Director, Office of Special Projects, National Research Council

You might be one of many students who have considered Undertaking an internship program sometime during your educational experience. You might be thinking: What is an internship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing an internship? How do I find an internship position? What do I want to get out of an internship? When is the best time during my formal educational journey to do an internship? These and other questions are answered in this article.

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term educational experience with a company or organization that provides a work experience in an area you are interested in already or would like to know more about in order to make a career decision. Internships also can be valuable work experiences, and the best internships will increase your confidence in your abilities. In most cases, internships last for a summer or semester, but some continue for up to one year. Internships are appropriate for any educational level, ranging from undergraduate student to post-doctoral fellow They can be found in corporations, trade associations, nongovernmental organizations, and national, state, and local government. Some internships are available in other countries and can provide valuable cross-cultural experiences and immersion opportunities to improve your foreign-language skills. One way to think about an internship is as an ongoing informational interview--a way to evaluate your personal likes and dislikes, as well as your particular talents early in your professional development so that you can make more informed career decisions.

What are the benefits of doing an internship?

Internships provide one with the opportunity to focus one’s aspirations, broaden one’s base of skills, and add to one’s stable of work experiences. An internship is an excellent way to investigate a potential employer; it can provide an easy and productive way to gain an understanding of an organization and the people who work within it. Internships also offer opportunities to develop new skills and network with individuals with whom you might not ordi narily come in contact during your formal education. Developing such a network could lead to a recommendation for your first real" job. In a competitive job market, a positive internship experience also could provide you with an edge--especially if the colleagues with whom you are competing have not had the opportunities afforded by your internship. The range of experiences could be working in teams, drafting reports, communicating your work in oral and written form, solving real work-place problems, making decisions, learning leadership skills, and supervising other people. Or, you could be asked to do something completely new for an organization, such as creating a web site for a specific project.

What are the disadvantages of doing an internship?

The chief disadvantage of doing a summer internship is that you will not be spending your summer either pursuing your academic field or relaxing in some favorite vacation spot especially if you are an undergraduate. If you are a graduate student, try to clear the decks as much as possible of other academic obligations so that you can focus on the duties assigned to you during the internship. Then schedule at least a week or two of break time before or after your internship to recharge your batteries.

Do I get paid for being an intern?

Internships generally do not pay well. If you need to earn enough money during the summer to pay for your fall tuition, an internship may not be for you. Most intern-ships pay some modest sum, but the salaries tend to be only sufficient to pay your expenses during the summer. Many internships are unpaid, although in some cases, colleges offer course credit for these internships. But you should always keep in mind that whatever is lacking in financial rewards could be more than compensated for by the many other intangible, unique, and valuable internship experiences, exposures, and contacts.

How do I find an internship?

Finding an internship is like finding a job-and indeed, it is good preparation for finding your first job. First, prepare a resume that outlines your educational status and employment background. Be sure to add volunteer activities that you have undertaken, but you do not necessarily need to list hobbies, recreational activities, etc. Second, visit the career-planning center on your campus. Many universities have career planning centers or internship offices that may have listings of companies and organizations looking for summer interns and are likely to have background information on them, such as deadlines, required qualifications, and contact information. Increasingly, there are useful Web sites (see end of this article) that list official internship programs, both national and international. Third, in late fall (for summer intern-ships), start sending letters and resumes to companies and organizations for whom you would like to work. Many have official internship programs, with clearly defined criteria, applications, and deadlines, but many do not. If you are interested in working for a company or organization that does not have an official program, sending a letter of inquiry is the first important step in notifying that potential employer of your skills. First, call the organization’s personnel office to identify the right person to whom you send your resume. Then, make sure your cover letter indicates specifically what you can offer that company or organization. The letter should indicate to the reader that you have done your homework about the organization; a generic form letter is unlikely to spark anyone’s interest.

When should I look for an internship?

The earlier the better. You should begin your search no later than three to four months prior to when you would like to begin the position. The end of the calendar year holiday break is a good time to preparing your resume, thinking of what you would like to do, and considering what companies and organizations you are interested in gaining experience with as a summer intern. Decisions are often made as early as March for summer internships, although opportunities may become available through the early summer.

What questions should I ask when I’m interviewed for an internship?

You probably will be interviewed by phone, rather than in person. During this conversation, try to find out exactly what you will be doing during the summer. Reasonable questions might include: What are your day-to-day experiences going to be like? Is there a specific project to which you will be assigned? Who will you be working with? Are you likely to spend the summer at the photocopy machine? Or, will you be making a substantive contribution to a project or activity? Often, your level of education will dictate the level of work you are given, with substantive work more likely going to those at the graduate level rather than someone at the undergraduate level. This is not to say that photocopying" experience is not worthwhile if the internship also provides you with exposure to interesting people and ideas. But, you should be sure what you are getting into before committing your summer to an organization.

Also, find out the term of the internship can you begin and end the internship at any time? Or, are there specific beginning and ending dates? What will you be paid, if anything? When will you be paid? Will taxes be taken out of your paycheck? What are the working hours? How flexible is your work schedule? Will you be expected to work overtime? Where will you be working? Are there any personal expenses involved? Are relocation expenses included? Are there formal programs for interns within the organization? Further, find out who you would be working with and the degree to which they will be expected to act as a mentor to you. Finally, ask for the names and contact in-formation for interns who worked with that organization in the past. Those veterans can provide you with a true perspective on what it is like to be an intern in that organization. If you decide to pursue an internship, the clearer you are in your own mind about what you hope to get out of the experience, the more likely you are to have a valuable experience. One goal should be to enjoy yourself; another to learn as much as you can. It is, in the final analysis, your career that you are starting to build!

Helpful Web Sites

National Research Council Career Planning Center: http://www2.nas.edu/cpc

National Research Council Internship Pro-gram:http://www2.nas.edu/nrc-ip

Intern-NET: http://lwww.vicon.net/~nternnet/

Student Search System: http://www.studentsearch.com/

Job Web: http1/wwwjobweb.or~search~1obsI

Intern Center: http://www.trtpod.com/work/intern~centeri

Summer Jobs: http://www.summerjobs.com/

Internships in Europe: http://www.rochester.edu/College/study-abroad/europe.html

Canadian Science and Technology Intern-ships

(NRCan): http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/css/hrsb/intern-e.htm

University of Virginia: http://minerva.acc.virginia.edu/~career/intern.html

University of California, Irvine: http:/Iwww.uci.edu/~cie/iop/internsh.html

Carleton College: http://www.carleton.edu/cgi-bin/intern/internwais.pl

Wesleyan: http://iwww.alumni.wesleyan.edu/WWW/Info/CPC/news.html

AWIS MAGAZINE, Volume 27, Number 3, Summer 1998

SCIENCE EDUCATION

Quick Links