Internship Guide

What is an Internship?

An internship is an on-site practical work experience in a company or organization that can provide you with firsthand knowledge of a career field. The internship you choose may be related to a major or directly related to your career interest but often is a way for you to explore an entirely different field. Internships often complement your coursework, and are available during the academic year or over the summer. You can incorporate your skills and classroom experience into the workplace while developing new abilities and skills. Internships also provide you with important networking opportunities. Internships may be paid or unpaid – either way, the rewards are great.

Why is an Internship Important?

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook Survey

Who can do an Internship?

Every student can benefit from one or several internships. Unless a company or organization specifies a class, all students may apply. Be aware of deadlines and the fact that some internship postings are targeted for recent graduates. Otherwise, it's never too early to explore your career options. Many students plan to do an internship the summer after their junior year, but any time you can devote to an internship is the right time. During the academic year you may only be able to devote 6-10 hours per week to an internship. During the summer months you may wish to work anywhere from 20-40 hours each week. There is no specific number of internship sites that you should plan to contact. How you research and select potential sponsors will be entirely up to you. An OCC counselor can work with you every step of the way. The sooner you begin your internship search, the more likely you are to succeed. Internships are great resume builders.

Why do an Internship?

Internships are an important element of your career development process. An internship is not the same as a short- term job, internships have structured learning goals, provide you with supervision and offer an experiential learning component that can strengthen your resume. Internships can expand your knowledge of yourself and provide you with insight to the career fields that interest you. You will also gain marketable skills related to the field and make important contacts. Internships allow you to apply your classroom knowledge in the workplace. You can find out what you like (or don't like) about various types of jobs while determining the best fit for your career preference and interests. Today companies and organizations prefer to hire students who have gained practical work experience through an internship.

To summarize, a successful internship experience can help you…

What is a Quality Internship?

An excellent internship allows you to work under a supervisor who will provide you with direction, monitor your duties and spend time mentoring you. If possible, you should plan to visit the internship site and meet the staff before you accept an offer. It is best to be aware of your personal goals and expectations before you consider an internship. How can this organization utilize my skills? Do I like to work alone or in a group? Although you may be required to perform some mundane tasks, the majority of your time should be spent working on projects that enable you to learn about the organization and the field while building your skills.

Preparing for an Internship

A successful internship experience requires awareness of your specific needs and an understanding of the options available to you. Setting your priorities at the onset of your search is very important. It is much more productive to launch your internship search if you have some direction instead of being willing to do anything, anywhere. If you need help, make an appointment to meet with a counselor in OCC. Also, visit the Career Exploration section of our site to begin your self assessment.

Internship Resources at OCC

Other Valuable Resources

Networking Your Way to an Internship - Williams College Alumni Network (Ephnet)

The Alumni Network provides you with over 9,000 volunteer career advisors who serve as a resource as you consider your career options. The purpose of the network is for members to provide you with advice and share their expertise and experience as you explore career choices. Their purpose is not to offer internships or jobs. You will be able to select by occupation, location, and class range. Alumni are a good source of information about different fields of work, locations, and advice on how to find positions. Most people are willing to talk about their jobs and you can learn a great deal about a field of interest without the pressure of a formal job interview. When you set up an interview for information, be sure that the person you will be interviewing knows that you are not asking for a job interview, but for an informational interview. Keep in mind the questions that you would like to ask so that you can make good use of your interview time. Be sure to thank anyone who helps you. Some possible points:

Summer Housing Links

Here is a short list of some summer housing sites. We also keep a clipboard at the OCC with notices from the Williams community about summer rentals.

Ron Gallagher

Assistant Director

Email Mr. Gallagher

Ron is our counselor for much of the nonprofit world including social services, the arts, and entertainment. He also enjoys working with those interested in international humanitarian efforts.