With summer almost here, it’s time for students to start planning for a summer internship, whether they need one to graduate or just want the work experience that comes from it.
For most majors at UT Martin, an internship is required to be able to graduate, and the best time to start planning for one is during your junior or senior year.
Demetrius Robinson, the director of Career Planning and Development, says that students going into their first internship should “expect to really learn the culture of that particular employer and the web of field they are going into … and get key work skills to be very successful in their job career.”
Even if you don’t need an internship to graduate, students are encouraged to consider pursuing one anyway for the numerous benefits it provides.
Internships help you gain valuable work experience that will show your employer your unique skills and abilities needed to do the job. The competition is a lot stronger than it used to be, which means that the experience you gain from an internship can put you above the competitors. It can also help you build the connections you need to be able to make it into your particular field.
There are several resources through UT Martin that are available to students to help them find and apply for internships. One place that students can go to is Career Planning and Development, which is located on the second floor of the University Center in room 210. CPAD can help you find out information on what internships are available, both on and off campus, and they can also help you with writing your resume and cover letter for the internship.
There are a variety of internship opportunities out there for students, both locally and regionally. Students even have the opportunity to travel around the world for an internship, if they choose to do so. CPAD also has their own internship that students can apply for if they are interested in having a paid internship on campus and want to be a social media intern.
If students need funding for an unpaid internship, they have the chance of winning up to $1,000 from CPAD if they apply for their scholarship, and if needed, students can apply every semester for it.
Another resource to help students find possible internships is Handshake, which is available through CPAD. It provides career options for students by showing them available internships and jobs that are either nearby or related to their field.
Another option that students could do that is just as beneficial is a virtual internship. Doing your internship virtually will show your future employer that you know how to work from home, which is an important skill-set to have since a lot of companies have moved to hybrid work schedules due to the pandemic. Being able to do a virtual internship also tells them that you have the discipline to get the job done, good balance and time management skills, and the patience needed to do the job.
In order to stand out during your interview for the internship you want, show them evidence that you know what you are doing. You can do this by providing them with some of your work you have done during your time at UT Martin, showing them your GPA and extracurricular activities, and giving them letters of recommendation from past employers or professors.
During the interview, it is also important to make sure that the place will be the right fit for you.
“They are interviewing you, but you are also interviewing them. So, you need to make sure that the internship is going to have the values and the moral beliefs that you believe in and that they are really going to train you to be successful,” says Robinson.
If you find the right one, internships can really make a difference by setting you up for success in your field.
“I think getting an internship is so key to your future and to your career,” Robinson says.
