Internships are critical to gaining experience and connections and landing that first job. Also, know we are always open and encourage a face-to-face meeting to help think through opportunities. The information that follows provides some essential details.
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Internship Schedule
The Resume: Update your resume with your summer jobs, shadowing opportunities, or summer school classes. Many employers begin hiring as early as September, so make sure your resume is ready to send out. TO DO: September Online Resources: Make sure you’re signed up for Handshake, LinkedIn, and MyMentor. TO DO: September and October
The Strategy Overview: Meet a Career Center staff member to discuss the internship search strategy. Searching for internships is more than just a Google search. Over 50% of your time while searching for internships should be spent networking. We can teach you how to develop and use your personal network and the Wofford Alumni Network. TO DO: September and October
The Strategy in Practice: You know what type of internship you’re looking for and how to search efficiently. Now it’s time to put that into practice. Informational interviews are a great way to learn from successful people in your field, so contact your network. TO DO: October through January
The Events: The Career Center hosts events throughout the year, focusing on bringing employers and alums to campus for networking opportunities. Lunch and Learns, Career and Global Entrepreneurship Week events, and Job Fairs are great times to grow your personal network and send out your resume. Most events have an encouraging RSVP, so keep your eye on the Daily Announcements! TO DO: All year
The Applications: It is never too soon to start applying for summer internships. If you find one that looks interesting to you, apply for it! Check-in with the Career Center if you need help with application requirements such as cover letters or personal statements. TO DO: October to January
The Interviews: You applied and got a phone call asking to interview! The Career Center staff strongly encourages you to go through at least one mock interview before your interview. We have tips to help you answer the tricky behavior questions, and we can recommend the best way to present yourself during the interview. TO DO: January through March
The Funding or The Credit: Most employers understand the importance of paying interns for their contributions, but you will still find a few that only offer unpaid internships. The Career Center doesn’t want money to stand in the way of your dream internship, so we offer a stipend available by application. Stipends are competitive, so apply early and put some effort into the application. TO DO: April and May
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Internship Stipends
The Career Center in the Mungo Exchange provides stipend funding for enrolled students who have internships for the summer. These stipends are awarded based on financial need, paid or unpaid internships, and cost of living. Applications are announced via email, daily announcements, and the Career Center’s Instagram account. The application form opens at the beginning of every spring semester and runs for 4 months or until funds are exhausted. To learn more, read the Internship Stipend Fact Sheet HERE.
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NACE Definition of an Internship
CRITERIA FOR AN EXPERIENCE TO BE DEFINED AS AN INTERNSHIP
To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:
1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
3. The experience has a defined beginning and end and a job description with desired qualifications.
4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
6. There is routine feedback from the experienced supervisor.
7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals. If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.
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Internships For Credit
INTR 301
The Career Center in the Mungo Exchange can provide credit for your internship. Every student has up to 4 credit hours that can be earned via an internship. Students must have an internship and sign up via Handshake. The hours for the class are variable and based on hours worked. This class is available during the fall and spring semesters and summer school. Please note there is a flat $250 fee for summer school enrollment. You can apply for the class using the steps below. It’s always good to schedule a meeting before applying!Signing Up for INTR 301
1. You must secure an internship and have an offer letter from the organization/company.2. Once the internship is secured – fill out this FORM.
3. Make sure to fill out all the questions and upload your offer letter.
4. Once you have completed the form, you should hear back from the Career Center in a few days. Feel free to reach back out if you have questions.
