Lake Forest College. The Student Intern Guide What all Students Need to Know. Career Advancement Center

Transcription

1 The Student Intern Guide What all Students Need to Know Connect with the Career Advancement Center for career guidance and support. Lake Forest College Career Advancement Center

2 THE STUDENT INTERN GUIDE Table of Contents CAC at a Glance Internships... 2 Before You Start... 3 Search Resources... 4 I m Hired, Now What... 5 Internship Checklist... 6 Career Advancement Center(CAC) Buchanan Hall, room The Internship Program at Lake Forest College Students are encouraged to complete their first for-credit internship during their junior year and may complete additional internships throughout their final two years at Lake Forest College. This time frame is not a requirement, but serves as a guideline as students plan their internship schedule. Additionally, first and second year students are strongly encouraged to complete a not-for-credit internship prior to the start of their junior year.

3 CAC at a Glance Services offered by the Career Advancement Center Individual Career-Advising Appointments Mock Interviews Graduate School Advising Personal Interest Assessments Mentoring Programs Listings for Full and Part-Time Jobs and Internships Career Fairs Workshops and Events Post-graduation Career Planning Assistance Visit the Career Advancement Center website at for more information. Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M. - 5 P.M. Summer Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. For more information on the internship process, please contact the Career Advancement Center at or us at: careers@lakeforest.edu. 1

4 Internships The Career Advancement Center encourages all students to participate in the internship program. The goal of the program is for students to complete at least two internships before graduation. So what exactly is an internship?? An internship is a great way for students to explore new career opportunities. Typically, an internship is a short term work experience related to your major or career goals. In short, an internship provides students an opportunity to: test the waters in a career field of interest apply skills and knowledge learned in the classroom to actual on-the-job-experience gain practical experience in a chosen career field Identify strengths and weaknesses Develop important career contacts in the business world Acquire work experience to list on resumes and employment applications Additionally, an internship can be for-credit or not-for-credit, paid or unpaid, and is often completed during the academic school year on a part-time or full-time basis during the summer. For-credit Internships For-credit internships at Lake Forest College are typically open to juniors and seniors. Students are required to complete 150 clock hours of on-the-job experience for one credit or 300 clock hours for two credits. All for-credit internships must be approved by your internship supervisor, academic advisor, and the director of the Center for Chicago Programs prior to the start date of your internship. Upon approval, your internship will be jointly supervised by your internship supervisor and a manager at your internship site. The specific requirements for credit vary among departments, but generally involves regular meetings with your internship supervisor, journal entries, and a final paper or project. Not-for-credit Internships Internships not completed for credit are supported by the Career Advancement Center (CAC). Non-credit internships are basically an agreement between the employer and the student. There is no formal contract in place and there is more room for flexibility. Additionally, there is no set number of hours to be completed for non-credit internships. For more information, please contact Rose Sterling in the Career Advancement Center. Key People to Know! Rose Sterling, Assistant Director of Career Services: Rose is a great first point of contact for students interested in internships. If you are in the beginning process of exploring your internship options or need assistance with resumes, cover letters, and interview tips, please contact Rose. Academic Advisors: Your advisor can provide guidance regarding how your internship credit will best fit into your class schedule. Internship Supervisors: Your internship supervisor will be active in approving internships and assigning grades for your internship experience. Students interested in for-credit internships should see their internship supervisor well in advance of starting the internship process. For a list of internship supervisors, visit the Center for Chicago Programs website at: Rami Levin, Director of the Center for Chicago Programs (CCP): Dr. Levin coordinates all for-credit internships and has the final word on internship approval. Students interested in for-credit internships can contact Dr. Levin at for more information. 2

5 Before You Start Before you start the internship process, take some time to examine yourself and your goals! You can start your exploration by asking yourself the following questions: What is my ideal internship according to the following criteria? Career field/setting: Geographic location: Timing -- summer, fall, spring: Hours -- part-time or full-time: For-credit or not-for-credit: Why do I want to do an internship? What previous jobs or volunteer experience have I had? Which ones did I like and dislike? What do I have to offer an employer and what skills would I like to develop and improve? What are my career goals and how will an internship fit into my future plans? What contacts do I have in the career field? 3

6 Internship Search Resources Finding an internship requires some research and planning. As a result, the search process should begin a semester (3-6 months) in advance. For summer internships, you should start looking as soon as September or October. Bottom line: the sooner you start, the better! Finding an internship can best be accomplished using a mix of tactics. Some of these strategies include: Online Career Center (OCC): The Online Career Center is the Career Advancement Center s full-time and part-time job and internship data base. Internship and job postings are added weekly. Additionally, students can upload resumes, cover letters, and other documents to apply for internship openings online. Students are already registered! To log-in: Visit Click on Online Career Center Enter your pre-assigned username-- your student ID # Enter your pre-assigned password-- forester Please make sure to change your password when you log-in! Activate your network: Your network of contacts can be one of the best ways to learn about and secure potential internships and jobs. Starting with CAC staff, faculty, family, and friends, let everyone know you are looking for an internship Browse past internships on the Center for Chicago Programs website at: Target companies in your field of interest through their HR website for possible internship opportunities Speak to your academic advisor or internship supervisor as he or she may have connections in your area of interest Other Online Resources! Non-profit internships: Government internships: Internship opportunities: Campus Career Center: 4

7 I m Hired, Now What Congratulations on securing your internship! It marks a new beginning for you as a new professional in your career field of interest. Before you accept the internship, remember to: Request a detailed job description Meet your internship supervisor Check the company s reputation-- ask friends, faculty, or the Career Advancement Center for feedback For non-credit internship offers, please contact Rose Sterling Accepting and Declining Internships Once your internship is officially approved by the appropriate persons, the following steps should be executed in order to finalize your internship: Official acceptance: A verbal acceptance is not legally binding. To officially accept the internship offer, write a letter or to the hiring person who officially offered you the position. Schedule: Be clear about what your schedule will be, what the starting date is and who will be your supervisor. Paperwork: Complete all paperwork required by the employer and your academic department. Transportation: Make sure you have a mode of transportation to and from the employer s location and, if available, procure any parking permits or passes. Declining an Internship Offer If you decide not to accept an internship that has been extended to you, you must officially decline the offer either by telephone or in a brief note. In preparation of declining an offer, please be mindful of the effort and time that the organization has put into interviewing you. You DON T want to burn any bridges and jeopardize your potential for future internships or jobs. Tips for your first day! On or before your first day, find out these important facts: CHAIN OF COMMAND: Find out who your immediate supervisor is and the names of employees with whom you will work with regularly. NORMS: Pay attention to others in the office to learn the norm for behavior and work style. TOUR: Get a tour of the facilities and learn the locations of the resources you will be using. ASK: If you are unsure or don t know the answer, ask your supervisor or a coworker. BRING A NOTEBOOK: To take notes about what you are learning. 5

8 Internship Checklist Jobs/Internship Search Components Although securing a job or internship is not a liner process that is complete once you have done all of the necessary tasks, there are certain elements that improve your chances of getting what you want. Additional instructions are available for each of these steps. Identify your interests and what you may be able to contribute to a workplace. Research the types of organizations that need your skills and/or do work that you are interested in-- you may use Web sites, people, career events, books, and magazines. Determine the factors that your target organizations use to hire new talent; find the level of information that you would need to earn an offer through the interview process with this organization. Strengthen your personal network to help you gain access to key organizations and to learn inside information about your field(s) of interest. Call former supervisors to talk about your interests and request referrals to other professionals, who may have opportunities related to your search; contact alumni or friends to gather information about their current roles and to describe your interests. Write and submit resumes and cover letters drawing upon your most relevant experiences -- consider consider the skills, qualities, and content knowledge the employer expects the ideal candidate to possess. Conduct appropriate follow-up. Find meaningful ways to follow-up -- not Did you get my stuff? calls. An improved technique... Is there any additional information that I can provide to help you with your decision process? This is easier when you develop a connection to the organization before your application process. Prepare for interviews. The best prepared candidates are ready to talk about their personal ability to contribute to the organization they are interviewing with and to show they fit within the organizational culture -- the interview is not a test. It is a chance for you to discuss your attributes and to ask deeper questions about whether this organization is a good fit for you. Of course, your appearance still matters, so get the appropriate attire before you interview. Choose whether to accept an offer. Your first job or internship may not be the dream position you have always hoped for, but it may be a necessary stepping stone to get what you ultimately want. It may take an internship with a minor league sports team in an out-of-the-way town to get the more prestigious position. Each offer you receive will have advantages and disadvantages. It is ultimately up to you to decide what you will pursue. As former students have discovered, your offers may not all come at the same time, so you may need to take a risk and accept a position before hearing back from your top picks. We re here to help you with this process. Don t forget to share the good news once you have officially accepted the internship offer! 6