How to Land a Science or Engineering Internship in Five Easy Steps
#1. Narrow your search. The first thing to do when considering doing an internship is to evaluate your needs. Ask yourself what you hope to gain from the experience. Is it knowledge? Contacts? A better sense of the field you are considering entering? Or perhaps all of the above? Whatever your reasons for pursuing an internship, make sure that you know what they are-and how you can best reach your goal.
Once you have evaluated your needs, narrow your search. Find internships that can fulfill your needs; don't waste time applying for those that can't. According to Tim La Valle, President and CEO of Rising Star Internships, "Students should decide first what sector (e.g., engineering, astronomy, physics) they would like to get experience in."
Chemistry professor Dr. Browne advises her students to narrow their search by subject and location, in order to make the search less daunting. "Students can sometimes get overwhelmed by the internship application process," she says, "so it's best to narrow the search."
#2. Do your homework. Once you have decided what kind of internship you would like to pursue, the real work begins. Locating internships that interest you - and that you wish to apply for - may be the most important step in the "internship-landing" process. But don't panic; there are plenty of resources out there just waiting to be utilized!
"Ask your career counselors and teachers for guidance, and utilize your school's career center to the fullest," suggests Tim La Valle, of Rising Star Internships.
Meanwhile, Dick Filley, Director of the Corporate Leaders Program at Arizona State University (ASU), insists that, "The Web is absolutely the best place to go for information about science and engineering internships." (ScienceWise.com has provided this list of links to internship resources for you.) Dr. Filley also recommends checking the bulletin boards located in or near your department chair's office for notices about internships.
And let's not forget that old standby for hard-to-find information: the library. On her Web site devoted to the topic, How to Find a Summer Research Internship, Dr. Browne suggests looking for recent versions of the following books: Peterson's Engineering, Science, and Computer Jobs; Internship Bible; The National Society for Internships and Experimental Education; National Directory of Internships; and the American Chemical Society Directory of Graduate Research.
#3. Plan Ahead. The next piece of advice is the one you have probably heard countless times before, from parents and teachers alike: "Don't procrastinate!" According to Dick Filley of ASU, "For a summer internship, even January is not too early to start looking." Students should try and get at least one-semester head start on an internship, if possible. Think of it this way: getting a great internship takes planning, and the more you plan ahead, the more likely it is that you will find an internship that will meet your needs.
Dr. Filley also recommends that students approach the search for an internship the same way they would search for a job. As he points out, "Searching for a job (or internship) takes time, so students should try and build this time into their schedules.
#4. Ask Around. It often pays to ask around- in other words, "network" - and landing an internship is no exception. In addition to doing your homework and starting your search nice and early, you should ask around for internship advice. "It's a good idea to get recommendations on where to intern from your professors and TA's, " notes Chemistry professor Dr. Sheila Browne.
Tim La Valle (of Rising Star Internships) offers this advice on finding internships: "When you find an organization that you would like to work for, find out all you can about the organization and how you can assist them. Then, find someone who works for this organization and begin networking! The goal is to find the name, number and e-mail address of the person you want to work for." According to Dr. Browne, "You should never underestimate the power of personal contact." Thus, if you met someone (or attend an interesting lecture, for example, by someone whom you are interested in working for), by all means introduce yourself. It may just be that his or her company is looking for an intern...and that "someone" they are looking for could be you!
#5. Be persistent. That old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," can certainly be applied to the search for an internship. As Dr. Sheila Browne points out, "It's a good idea to apply for at least ten internships-especially if you're a freshman without prior experience. She also advises students not to get down if they are not selected for their first-choice internships. "Just keep on applying until you get one!" she urges.
CEO of Rising Star Internships Tim La Valle has these final words of encouragement: "An internship can truly be the experience of a lifetime, so be persistent. Remember: You possess organizational and technical skills that are in demand all over the world!"
Source: 2000 ScienceWise.com.
Last Modified: 2007-09-21 at 12:09:03 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation