Where to Start
Where Do I Start?
An internship is an on-site work experience. Start your search by thinking about your goals for the experience. Answer the following questions to get an idea of what kind of experience you want:
- What field of study am I interested in?
- What general subject area would I like the internship to be in?
- Do I want my internship to relate to my major field of study and/or my career interests?
- What's my purpose for seeking this internship?
- What do I hope to gain from this experience?
- Do I want to intern in a local, national or international setting?
- Do I want a paid internship experience, or an unpaid internship for credit?
- How do I do the internship for credit?
If you are unable to answer the first question because you have no idea what interests you or what career goals you have, you may want to start your search off by visiting the Office of Experiential Learning in B4 Thaw Hall, Career Development in 224 WPU, or your academic advisor. In the Office of Experiential Learning, we can help you through important internship decisions. You can meet with a career counselor in Career Development to talk about your interests, abilities, and values. Advisors can help you determine what career plan may be best for a particular major and answer questions you may have regarding your academics and career planning.
You may also want to check out the various workshops offered by Career Development. These workshops cover a series of topics concerning career planning, job search strategies, résumé and cover letter writing, interviewing techniques, identifying skills and interests, etc. These workshops can help you to start planning your future now and are advertised on FutureLinks.
The Next Step Is...
After deciding which field you are interested in, the next step is to find internships within your field. As a student at the University of Pittsburgh, you have many resources available to you. Access FutureLinks, a comprehensive career management system for internship and job postings (full- and part-time), on-campus student employment listings, upcoming event listings, on-campus interviewing and information session opportunities, by going to (1) my.pitt.edu, (2) My Communities, (3) Career Services, and (4) FutureLinks. Academic departments, the Regional Internship Center, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Foundation Center (414 Wood Street, Downtown Pittsburgh) also have information about internships, careers and organizations.
Take advantage of all your networking opportunities. In addition to making contacts through friends, family, current/former employers, classmates, and faculty members, there are many other networking avenues you can pursue. You may learn about internship openings through newspapers, newsletters, job/internship fairs, work/study abroad programs, hometown contacts, professional associations, student organizations, trade magazines, community service/volunteer groups, and many more.
The easiest resource to start with is the Internet. There are thousands of sites containing information about internships. We have sorted through and given you a sample of some in each field.
If you need to earn money more than credit for a semester, consider a paid internship experience. You'll also find many paid internships listed on FutureLinks.
