Work experience gained from internships is one of the most crucial items on a student’s to-do list. The Career Advancement Center provides information on its website for “Milestones” on what steps to take each year of college to ensure a successful internship search.
They also recently started a Resume Book, which shares the student and alumni resumes with various employers. Speed Networking and many other events hosted by the CAC also provide more opportunities for students seeking internships. However, being proactive during the process is essential.
Lisa Hinkley, the Associate VP for Career & Professional Development at Lake Forest College, gave the tip to, “Know that a career center is just a matchmaker. You have to do the hard work of actually calling people.”
Students can chose for-credit internships, which are available to juniors and seniors who wish to pursue an opportunity linked to their areas of study. Non-credit internships are also an option for students who are not yet eligible for a for-credit internship, who have used all available internship credits, or who wish to obtain an internship that does not meet for-credit internship guidelines.
Students can also receive funding from the Kemper Foundation for internships. Many students also choose to do internships abroad and/or during other off campus programs. To give you a better perspective from the students themselves, I interviewed a couple students who have landed successful internships.
Mariano Garcia ’18, majoring in business, remained proactive during his internship search by starting early. As a current sophomore, Mariano interns at an Event Design Company. In his internship, he maintained his employer’s website and social media, and he made some videos to promote the business.
Having an internship as a sophomore was a great opportunity for Mariano to have, as it makes candidates stand out in the job application process since many candidates do not start that early. During his search process, websites such as Simply Hired, LinkedIn, and Craigslist were all helpful in finding opportunities.
“Starting early and networking whenever and wherever you can is very necessary,” said Mariano. As Vice President of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, Mariano strongly encourages everyone to make use of many of the networking events hosted by CEO.
Stanba Gyaltsan ’16, a politics and economics major, completed two internships last year while living in the Downtown Chicago Loop. He worked as a Public and Global Affairs Intern at the Niagara Foundation and as an Intern for Vista Medical Meetings & Events. Stanba recommends making use of the opportunities available in Chicago in the internship process.
This gives students many advantages, as it allows them to develop hands-on professional skills which they will be able to use in many aspect of life. “Be sure to go above and beyond during the search, using both the Lake Forest College Network and outside networks. Websites such as Indeed.com and Internships.com, as well as the college’s Forester Link database, are all good tools to use in this process,” said Gyaltsan.
Have any furthers questions about the Internship Search Process? Be sure to make a visit to the Career Advancement Center or meet with your Academic Advisor for more tips and to learn about more opportunities in your field and how to become a stronger candidate.
