Steps in Securing an Internship

For Students

Registering

If you are pursuing an internship for academic credit, you must register for it (as a course) with the Registrar.

Obtain a Faculty Sponsor

A faculty sponsor is required for any student who pursues an internship for academic credit. Any faculty member may be a sponsor; but often the sponsor is the student's departmental advisor.

Résumé and Cover Letter Preparation

Visit the Center for Internships and Career Services to obtain Guidelines sheets and samples to assist you in drafting your résumé and/or cover letter. Then you should schedule an individual appointment to have your résumé and/or cover letter reviewed.

Site Selection

You should review internship requests in the white internship binders located in the Center for Internships and Career Services. Also, you should reference the evaluations of students who have previously completed internships. You are encouraged to pursue internship sites other than those listed in the binders. To maximize your opportunities, you should consider gathering information on approximately six to eight sites.

Calling Sites

After selecting several sites, you should call each site contact to determine if there is an opening. A sample script follows: "Hi, my name is Susan Moran and I am a junior at Regis College, majoring in psychology. I'm calling to find out if you have internship openings in research for the fall semester." (It is important to give the contact very specific information about yourself and why you are calling). If you are not able to speak with the internship contact, leave your name and take the initiative to call back.

Arranging Interviews

When you speak with the internship contact (and if there is an opening), you should ask for an interview. It's likely you will be asked to send a résumé (and possibly a cover letter) to the employer.

Interviews

Arrive for the interview about ten minutes early, dressed professionally. Your attire should be consistent with the organization's culture. Be prepared to discuss your skills, interests, Regis experience, and future career plans. Ask about specifics regarding the internship being offered, to determine whether you will enjoy the experience. If you are offered the internship and are still considering other sites, it's not necessary to make a decision immediately. However, you should be aware of the employer's deadlines in filling the position.

Thank You Note

You are strongly encouraged to send Thank You notes (or e-mails) to all the people with whom you interviewed. Once you have made a decision, you should notify any other sites still under consideration.

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Once the internship is underway...

Internship Forms

Complete the Internship Agreement form as directed in the Internship Handbook. The Agreement form requires input and authorization (signatures) from both your faculty sponsor and site supervisor. Later in the semester you should also obtain the Student Evaluation and Supervisor Evaluation forms in the Center for Internships and Career Services. These forms must be completed before the internship ends.

Exit Interviews

To complete your internship you must schedule an Exit Interview. The Center for Internships and Career Services will call you later in the semester to schedule an appointment. During this brief (approximately ten-minute) appointment, you will discuss your internship experience and whether you would recommend the site to other students in the future.