Where to Start
Where Do I Start?
An internship is an on-site work experience. Start your search off by sitting down and thinking about which area or field you wish to intern in. Answer as many of the following questions as possible 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 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 Academic Internships - Office of Experiential Learning in B4 Thaw Hall, Placement and Career Services in 224 WPU, or your academic advisor. In the Academic Internships - Office of Experiential Learning, we can help you through important internship decisions. You can meet with a career advisor in Placement and Career Services to talk about what interests you, what skills you have, what you like to do, and what you are good at. Advisors can help you determine what career plan may be best for you and answer questions you may have regarding your academics and career planning.
You may also want to check out the various workshops often offered by Placement and Career Services. 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.
For more information about upcoming events and workshops, please call Placement and Career Services at 412-648-7130.
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. Academic departments and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Foundation Center (414 Wood St., downtown Pittsburgh) 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 to start with is the World Wide Web. There are thousands of sites containing information about internships. We have sorted through and given you a sampling 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.
