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Is This Internship for Me? How to Evaluate Opportunities

With thousands of available internships, with varying degrees of detail in their position descriptions, it can be a little difficult to determine which internships a student should apply for. Some important questions to ask yourself when considering application:

Does the internship position description interest me?
When reading through the various tasks the intern will perform, does the position description excite you? Can you imagine yourself in the internship, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the organization with your energy and creativity? Are the experiences detailed in the position description in line with those you want to gain in order to make you more marketable for a full-time position? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, the internship is worth further consideration.

Do the experiences the internship offers allow me the opportunities I seek or that my program requires?
Students performing internships for exploratory purposes should seek opportunities that provide experiences in one or more of the fields or majors they are considering. While the internship will offer valuable experiences worthy of a résumé, the internship will also help the student to clarify in his/her mind their interest, or lack thereof, in the field or profession.

Students seeking experience within their field should consider the specific experiences they want or need to gain from the internship. If your academic program requires specific experiences in order for the internship to count for course credit, ensure that the internship offers such opportunities. Students performing internships simply for the experience should carefully consider the experiences they have yet to gain in their field (or from previous internships) and what experiences will make them most appealing to a future employer.

Will my schedule allow the number of required internship hours? Will the internship hours fulfill my academic requirements?
It is important to consider your availability prior to applying for internship opportunities and to know what is required of you when performing an internship for academic credit. While many employers can offer a certain amount of flexibility in the number of hours worked per week or in the schedule, it is important to be aware of your academic requirements and the amount of time you can offer an employer when applying.

Will the location of the internship work for my summer living arrangements?
Many students seek internship opportunities in their hometown, in the vicinity of a friend or family member with whom they may stay or near their current residence. While some employers can offer assistance in making housing arrangements and some campuses can offer residence hall housing to students performing internships during the summer, it is important to consider your options when applying for an internship. When the aforementioned are not available to you, www.internhousing.com can be a helpful resource.

The above items are also important to discuss with an employer during an interview. Prior to the interview, it is encouraged that you research the organization and department within which you would intern so that you can effectively communicate your ability to fit within the company. Additionally, it is important to bring a list of questions that you have about the internship to the interview. This ensures that those not answered during the questioning process are answered when you are provided the opportunity to ask such questions – typically at the end of the interview. Other items to bring to the interview:

    • Your availability for the internship term in hours and a potential work schedule
    • A list of your academic requirements
        o Any required experiences
        o Hourly requirements
        o Requirements of the internship supervisor (i.e., documentation, evaluations, visits with instructor/advisor/internship coordinator, etc.) 
    • Any experiences not in the position description you would like to gain through the internship
      Now is the time to actively search and apply for a summer or fall internship. Indiana INTERNnet provides many new postings daily, so check back regularly. Good luck!

Information found @ http://www.indianachamber.com/email/indianainternnet/11internnetwork03-07.htm#is

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