Finding an Internship

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Finding an Internship Presented by Jennifer
Broyles Career Center University of Maryland,
College Park 3100 Hornbake Library, South
Wing 301-314-7225 http//www.CareerCenter.umd.edu
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What is an Internship?
An internship is a supervised work experience in
which an individual has intentional goals and
reflects actively on what he/she is learning
throughout the experience.
You cannot teach humans anything. You can only
help them discover it within themselves. -
Galileo
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Benefits of an Internship Top 10 reasons to do
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1. Gain relevant work experience Gives you an
edge Gain immediate career-related experiences
that complement your academic credentials Add
these new skills to your resume and discuss them
in an interview Gain better understanding of
your career objectives, which will help focus
your job search 2. Active coaching from a
designated mentor Learn from experts within your
field Can be a powerful ally when you start your
job search helping you to locate positions,
network, and make decisions about offer 3. Put
your degree to work Internships are designed to
provide a place for you to apply your academic
knowledge Allow you to experience first-hand
whether your dream job is right for you 4. No
experience required (usually) Most full-time
positions require previous experience,
(internships dont!) Internships allow you to
gain the experience needed for a full-time
position 5. Develop new talents in the
workplace By completing assignments, you will
learn new skills Learning how to successfully
navigate through an office environment also
increases your confidence
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Benefits of an Internship Top 10 reasons to do
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6. Receive regular performance evaluations Mentor
provides regular feedback on your strengths and
areas of improvement Set objectives for your work
at the internship site and progress your work
towards completing those objectives Performance
reviews provide tangible ways for your mentor to
highlight your accomplishments 7. Create a
professional network An internship brings you
into contact with people who can help you turn
your career plans into reality Use the
connections you have made to network and learn
about opportunities within the organization, as
well as in other organizations Schedule
informational interviews with various employees
at your internship site 8. Make a difference to
an organization Contribute your new ideas,
energy, and eagerness to the workplace Contribute
your knowledge of the latest research 9. Travel
to new geographic locations 10. Improve your
prospects for getting full-time work Internships
provide experience that you can highlight
whenever you apply for full-time jobs Mentors and
professional colleagues can introduce you to
potential employers, as well as provide
references and recommendations  Maryon Urquhart,
Director, Customer Relations at Career Edge,
Youth Internship Program
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Questions to ask yourself before you begin the
search

• What type(s) of career fields am I interested in?
• FOCUS self-assessment
• Major related?
• Where do I want to do my internship (geographical
  region)?
• UMD area?
• Home?
• 3. When do I want to do the internship?
• Summer?
• School year?
• Do I want to do a paid or unpaid internship?
• Academic credit?

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Tools for finding an Internship
Networking 5 Fs
Use your networks! Family, friends, faculty,
fellow students, foundations (Informational
Interviews)
Resume Cover Letter
Industry and position driven a well crafted
resume cover letter is key
Visit the Career Center
Same Day Assistance Individual Career
Counseling Resume Cover Letter Assistance Mock
Interviews Events Career Fairs (network!),
Panels, Employer Information Sessions, Workshops
(Fed. Govt. Internships) Resource Room
Internship Bible, Company listings Employer
Information
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Tools for finding an Internship
TERP Online
Access to Job/Internship listings, On Campus
Interviewing, Resume Referral, Employer Profile
Information Calendar of Events
careercenter.umd.edu (TOL) monstertrak.com
Terp Network internshipprograms.com
tech-centric.net/ http//tech-interns.com
Idealist.org CMPS Newsletter
On-line Resources
Academic Department
Internships for credit UNIV 379 (Beyond the
Classroom) CMPS 497 (perm. required)
Experiential Learning (1-3 credits)
UNIV 099
0 credit course, transcript notation No option
in academic department
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Internship Phone Script!
Internship Telephone Script Hello, this is
_________________ and I am a __________insert
your class standing at University of Maryland,
College Park, studying/majoring in _____________.
I am calling to inquire about your__________
describe the type of position internship,
listed through the University of Maryland Career
Center or insert where/how you learned of the
position, for _____________ semester/summer.
To request more information, consider the
following questions Is the position
available for ___________ semester/summer?
Could you please describe the responsibilities of
the position? What is the application
process? May I schedule an interview?
What if the contact is not available?
Explain to the individual on the other line who
you are and why you are calling, ask if there is
a better time to reach your contact, or leave a
time that you will be available to receive their
call. Organize your correspondence by logging
the contact name, site, time and date of the
call, a brief description of your conversation,
and action steps.
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TERP Online Internships

• Anti-Piracy Intern
• Entertainment Software Association
• The intern will be responsible for coordinating
  with ESA Anti-Piracy staff on its case projects
  and maintaining databases of case information in
  Excel, Access and other proprietary databases.
  The intern will also be responsible for assisting
  in identifying piracy on the Internet and pirated
  game product.
• Student Trainee, IT Specialist
• Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector
  General
• Student will work with hardware and software life
  cycle management, including procurement,
  installation, configuration, and
  inventory.  Provides desktop and network support
  by assisting users resolve hardware or software
  issues.  Will assist in IT training, including
  class scheduling, needs assessment, and
  contracts. Student will develop and publish
  websites and work with database application
  development.  
• ? Information Systems Intern
• National Community for Quality Insurance
• The typical activities the interns might perform,
  with guidance from NCQA's staff, include user
  management, data management, possible server
  configuration, scripting of small scale programs,
  and a variety of similar tasks that would provide
  some experience with what is involved in
  deploying and administering systems once the
  coding is done

Consider these positions
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Internship Websites

• ? MonsterTrak National Internship Database
  http//www.monstertrak.monster.com/
• Students can search by Job Category, Job Type,
  Location, Listing Date, Keywords, for
  internship opportunities around the country and
  international.
• ? Internship Programs http//www.internshipprogra
  ms.com/
• Search for internships in Advertising/Marketing/PR
  Companies/Agriculture Ecology/Arts
  Humanities/ Government Agencies/Large
  Corporations/Law Firms Organizations/News
  Media/ Sports Teams Organizations/ as well as
  by region.
• ?Tech-centric http//tech-centric.net/
• A leading technology job portal, providing
  students and graduates thousands of daily
  openings throughout the country, FT, PT,
  internships and co-op related jobs. You must
  register to use this site, but registration is
  free and simple.
• ? Rising Star Internships http//www.rsinternship
  s.com/
• You can search for internships in a number of job
  categories from accounting to youth development.
  Students can also post their resumes for
  prospective employers to search.
• CorpTech   http//www.corptech.com/
• Directory of technology companies with the
  ability to search by location and industry.
• Tech-Interns http//www.tech-interns.com
• For undergraduate and graduate science and
  engineering internships and co-op positions. 
  Sponsored by NASA and the American Society for
  Engineering Education.

Great websites to check out
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Internship Websites Continued

• ComputerJobs http//www.computerjobs.com/homepage
  .aspx
• ? Internship Opportunities in the Federal
  Government http//www.house.gov/watt/intern03.htm
  Congressman Melvin L. Watt has compiled a list
  of internship and volunteer opportunities in the
  federal government.
• MDInfotech http//www.mdinfotech.com/
• A great list of tech companies in Maryland.
  Access to basic information is available free
  with a registration. Search by product and type
  of company.
• HighTechnologyCareers http//www.brassring.com/
• You can search this database of 9000 jobs and
  create a webpage of your own.
• Student Jobs  http//www.studentjobs.gov/  A
  gateway for information about part-time, summer,
  and internship positions in the federal
  government.
• Students.gov http//www.students.gov Welcome
  to students.gov, your comprehensive information
  portal providing answers to your questions on
  education, career, government and more. Check out
  the topics below!

Great websites to check out
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Things to consider

• Think outside the box EXPLORE (Externships)
• Network, Network, Network!!!
• Create a resume cover letter
• Visit the Career Center, Hornbake Library, 3rd
  Floor
• Same Day Assistance (SDA) and Individual
  Counseling
• Mock Interviews

Next Steps!
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Thank you! Questions?
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Interviewing
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Types of Interviews

• Phone
• In-person
• Job Fairs

Interview Preparation

• Research the company
• Reflect on your skills and experiences
• Anticipate the questions use the job
  description
• Get to know the common questions (terp job search
  guide)
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Practice your answers
• Know your key points you want to make
• Prepare some of your own questions to ask

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Dress and Presentation

• Professional clothing is a quality investment
• Personal presentation
• No political buttons
• Be modest with jewelry, make-up and perfume
• Clothing is appropriate, cleaned and pressed
• Attention to personal hygiene
• Body positioning and gestures (smile!)
• Be prepared and punctual (arrive 15 to 20 minutes
  early)

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What to Bring to the Interview

• Check the weather
• Extra resumes
• Pen and paper
• Suitable reading material
• Detailed instructions, directions, contact info
• Your pleasant and confident personality

Follow-up

• Handwritten Thank You Note to each interviewer
• Phone call if necessary

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Internship Offer
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Evaluating the Internship Offer

• Assess the company/organization
• Are the company/organizations values consistent
  with your own?
• Does the company/organization take training and
  personal development seriously?
• Assess the internship
• Do the actual duties appeal to you? Are they
  challenging?
• Is there potential for a full-time job at some
  later point?
• Do you like the work conditions/environment?
• Will you enjoy it?
• Assess wage/stipend or credit
• Will there be a stipend or class credit?
• Is there an opportunity to work flexible hours?

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Accepting an Internship Offer and Related Ethics

• Once you have accepted an offer, do so in writing
  and on the phone
• Call the interviewer or your contact at the
  organization and let him/her know that you are
  formally accepting the position
• That same day, write a formal acceptance letter
  stating the same thing and keep a copy for your
  records (optional)
• Once you have accepted an offer, avoid changing
  your mind
• If you have carefully weighed your options and
  are not taking the job just to have something
  until the next interviewer gets back to you,
  rescinding should not be an issue
• Ethically, declining an offer once you have
  accepted is very inappropriate because
• Employers may have sent rejection letters to all
  other candidates and now you have put them in a
  bind
• You may be burning bridges for future
  opportunities by damaging your credibility and
  commitment
• If you find yourself in a bad situation
• If you accept a position and find that it is not
  right for you or the internship site is
  unpleasant, contact the Career Center for advice
  on how to proceed.

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Declining Internship Offers

• Be prompt and call the recruiter as soon as you
  have made your decision, the company may be
  considering other candidates
• Be respectful and gracious, hold the door open
  for future opportunities
• Express appreciation of the time spent on your
  candidacy
• Briefly explain that you are continuing your
  search, but focus on the aspects of the company
  that impressed you
• Be clear in your language, dont let the employer
  misinterpret a confusingly worded rejection as an
  attempt to negotiate
• Stay in touch with employer that youve turned
  down build your contact base
• Send thank you notes!

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Once You Accept Your Internship

• On the Job-
• Know your job description and its expectations
• Self-evaluate regularly
• Ask for feedback
• Volunteer for projects or committees where
  appropriate
• Use a mentor to learn new things or observe other
  parts of the company
• Use a learning contract
• On a Broader Scale-
• Utilize professional development opportunities
• Remember each internship is a stepping stone to
  your career
• Be a conscientious worker!
• See Making the Most of Your Internship

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• Thank you!
• Any questions?

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Tips for a full-time job search
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Top Qualities/Skills Sought by Recruiters(from
National Association of Colleges and
EmployersJob Outlook 2004 Survey)

• (1) Communication skills
• (verbal and written)
• (2) Honesty/integrity
• (3) Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
• (4) Motivation/initiative
• (5) Strong Work Ethic

(6) Teamwork skills (works well with
others) (7) Analytical skills (8)
Flexibility/adaptability (9) Computer
skills (10) Detail-oriented
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Remember the 5 Fs

• Network with
• Family
• Friends
• Faculty
• Fellow Students
• Foundations
• (utilize connections from your internships!)

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Utilize the Career Center

• Terp Online
• On Campus Interviews
• Career Fairs (Fall and Spring)
• Employer Information Sessions (network!)
• Resume Writing and Interviewing workshops
• Panels (connect with employers and alumni)
• Terp Network
• Web-site industry specific job search sites
• Mock Interviews (virtual and in-person)

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Continue to build experience

• Student Clubs and Organizations
• (Leadership Opportunities)
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Part-time employment
• Internships/Externships

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Use ALL Your Resources

Newspapers www.washingtonpost.com Online
databases CompTIA Tech Careers Compass-
www.tcc.comptia.org/ High Technology Careers-
www.computerjobs.com/homepage.aspx Association/Fou
ndation web-sites National Workforce Center
for Emerging Technologies http//www.nwcet.org CM
PS web-site and newsletter Career Center (TOL,
OCI) Target specific Companies/Organizations/Corpo
rations Connections! (networking)
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Maintain An Organized Search

• Keep a log of each job to which youve applied.
  Note the following
• date you applied
• date position closes
• position title and organization name
• contact name and phone number

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To Summarize

• Network!
• Utilize the Career Center
• Continue building experience
• Use all your resources
• Stay organized
• Be a Success!!!!

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• Thank you!
• Any questions?