Internship Guidebook Part 2: Internship Resources

Part 1: What Is An Internship?
Part 3: Correspondence Samples
Internships Main Page

THE ACTION PLAN: How to Find an Internship
  1. Register with Career Services & Leadership Education. Through our interest lists, you will receive regular email notices of internships in three career areas of your choice as well as reminders for upcoming deadlines.

  2. Prioritize. Determining what will make your internship experience meaningful. Because there are thousands of available opportunities, your priority list will help you focus upon those internships that best meet your career goals.

  3. Attend an Internship Workshop. This session will introduce you to many of the internship resources available in the Resource Library as well as on the Internet. Call Career Services for a schedule.

  4. Research possible internships. Career Services & Leadership Education recommends that you target at least 10-20 different organizations to apply to. This guidebook offers a comprehensive list of resources for you to explore.

  5. Prepare a resume and cover letter and have a professional staff member critique them both. If you have never written one before, be sure to pick up our Puzzle Books on Resume Writing and Job Search Correspondence. (Note: this is required before you can apply for Alumni Internships). Be sure to leave yourself enough time for revisions.

  6. Begin contacting organizations to verify internship information. There is nothing worse than preparing an application only to find out later it went to the wrong person or you need additional information. Verify availability of the internship, the application deadline, required materials, and obtain the appropriate contact person's name, title, and complete mailing address.

  7. Apply to those internships! Often this will mean drafting a specific cover letter and tailoring your resume to fit the opportunity available. Some organizations may ask for additional information such as: academic transcript, reference list, writing sample, etc. Make sure your application is complete before sending it.

  8. Explore housing options, if needed. Career Services has a binder of housing opportunities available in the New York City and Washington DC areas.

  9. Be proactive in your search: Follow up 10 days to 2 weeks after you send in your application. Contact the employer directly to make sure s/he has received your materials, to express your interest in the position, and to "check on the status of the search". Caution: Have your homework done first! This conversation could easily turn into a phone interview, so be prepared to answer questions about your skills and talents as well as to market yourself and your interest in this opportunity.

  10. Clarify the application process if possible. Find out from the contact person: the anticipated timeline of the search, the appropriate person to contact if you have questions, and the remaining steps to the search.

  11. Begin to define your plan of action for each application. How often will you call? What other information is needed? What is your next step?

  12. After every interview, send a thank you note. This is an excellent way to reconfirm your interest in the summer internship position and to address any questions that came up during your visit

  13. Always have a Plan B. Internships are real world experience and help you figure out what it is you want to do. Have alternate plans for the summer where you could volunteer part-time if that dream internship does not come through.

  14. Write a letter of confirmation to the opportunity you select for your summer internship. Be sure to reference the position you have accepted, the agreed upon salary, and your starting date.

  15. Write a letter of refusal to any organization that offered you an internship that you did not accept.

  16. Notify Career Services & Leadership Education of your internship placement.
Internship Resources

Career Services & Leadership Education has a wealth of internship resources available to you.
Some of these include:
  1. Alumni Internship Resume Referrals
    Each year, a number of SLU alumni offer to sponsor a definite internship opportunity for current students. While some are specifically for SLU applicants, other placements are competitive and SLU students will be evaluated against all other applicants. Applications for these opportunities are coordinated through Career Services & Leadership Education and are open to any currently matriculated student who meets the specified internship requirements as outlined by the alumni sponsor.
  2. Alumni Career Advisor Network
    Over 1000 alumni have volunteered to serve as career advisors and many of these professionals are willing to discuss offering internship opportunities in a variety of different career fields. You can search the network by geographic region and career interest area or industry. To access the ACAN, students need: a) to have an approved resume, (b) to attend an Alumni Career Advisor Network workshop, and (c) to make an appointment in Career Services & Leadership Education to use the Network computers. Note: these internships are not definite opportunities; you may need to work with the alumni advisor to develop the internship.
  3. The Internet
    Using the World Wide Web, students can often locate internship opportunities with many different companies around the country. Many corporations have home pages that include information about company size and focus, internship and employment opportunities, an special projects. Career Services & Leadership Education also has information on good Web sites to check out in our career library as well as under the Internet Sites section of the Career Services & Leadership Education web page.
  4. Career Library
    Career Services & Leadership Education has a large career library, with a section devoted completely to internship hunting. The internship section contains resources from across the USA and also internationally. Our Internship Files have literature from more than 500 different opportunities, both locally and nationally. Directories of internships in specific career fields are also available, as well as directories for specific geographic areas. Some sample titles include:


    Internships 2006 Internships in NYC and Washington DC
    The National Directory of Internships The Back Door Guide to Short Term Job Adventures
    Peterson's Guide to Internships Newspaper, Magazine, and Book Publishing Internships
    The Student Guide to Mass Media Internships Radio and Television, Broadcasting, & Production Internships
    Directory of International Internships National Directory of Arts Internships

  5. Faculty, Staff, and Personal Contacts
    Speaking to professors and staff members at SLU may open up opportunities for an internship in an ideal location. Keep in mind that family members, friends, past employers, and other people could be excellent resources of internship opportunities. The more people that know you are looking for an internship, the more likely you are to hear of an opening that fits your interest area(s).
  6. Workshops
    Each semester, a number of Internship Search workshops are offered by the Career Services staff. This is a wonderful way to learn more about resources, steps required to develop an internship action plan, and to have your questions answered. Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for dates and times of upcoming workshops.
  7. Career Counseling
    As always, three professional counselors are available to assist you in beginning your search, exploring your interests, locating possible internships, securing financial resources, or answering any other internship question you might have.

Will there be resources available to me during an internship?

On-Site Supervisor
Your on-site supervisor is the person your report to during your internship experience. S/he may or may not be the person who hired you originally. On-site supervisors give you assignments and projects, introduce you to the organization and fellow employees, teach you about the career field, and evaluate your performance.

The Faculty Sponsor
If you are pursuing an internship for academic credit, you must secure a Faculty Sponsor to work with you during your internship experience. (If you are not pursuing academic credit, you will probably not have a Faculty Sponsor.) A faculty sponsor acts as your internship advisor. He or she approves your learning agreement, which may include requirements such as writing a paper, completing a special project, etc. In addition, your faculty sponsor may visit the internship site, communicates with your on-site supervisor, evaluates your performance, and determines your final grade for the internship. An Internship Learning Agreement may be required. This document is created by the faculty sponsor and the student and outlines the goals of the intern experience. It has several purposes: providing a framework for the internship, assisting with measuring progress, reminding the student, on-site supervisor and faculty sponsor of the purposes and activities of the internship, and providing a means of planning the activities involved in the internship.

The Career Services & Leadership Education Staff
Once you begin your internship, you are still encouraged to contact Career Services & Leadership Education staff for assistance as needed. We are happy to serve as your sounding board and to offer support when needed.

What financial resources are available to me as an internship candidate?

Career Services & Leadership Education sponsors competitive fellowship awards to help offset cost of living, travel, and other expenses incurred during an internship experience. Awards are made available through alumni gifts and are available to students who have secured an internship placement. Awards include the Vivien Gardner Hannon Fellowship as well as additional grant monies from the Academic Dean's Office.

Part 3: Correspondence Samples