Most know getting an internship can be a challenging task, but it is also the first step to building real-world experiences, helping build your resume and that can lead to job offers.
“The most important part of getting an internship is it provides students with an experience,” said Tracey Knowles, Director of Center for Career & Professional Development. “An opportunity to gain experience in their chosen field and gives students a chance to explore.”
CCPD helps students with how to obtain internships and prepare for interviews. It offers relevant and timely career development training to Detroit Mercy students. CCPD provides opportunities for students to explore career options, obtain career-related experience and to research and find meaningful employment.
The center has three certified career development facilitators in the office that help students with job searching, graduate school, interviewing process, resume reviews and even understanding LinkedIn and Handshake.
Most students may think they are not qualified enough to apply for an internship, especially after completing just a year of college. Many may not seem ready just yet to start applying.
“Most internships are in the summertime because employers understand that you’re in school full-time, and so you will see the bulk of those opportunities in summer,” Knowles said. “However that depends on your program, but there are internships available in the fall and spring.”
Getting an internship may not be the easiest thing for everyone, especially if you struggle with interviewing and do not have too much work experience.
“The challenging part of finding an internship is just finding opportunities for students,” Knowles said. “Students that are willing to go beyond just searching for something online but instead taking chances like networking, attending different events, going to career fairs and going to different workshops that we have on campus.”
Many students can attest to internships being difficult to find unless you actually put in the effort to find one that fits you the best and a company you would actually enjoy working for.
“The most important part of getting an internship is gaining experience within your designated field to understand the kind of work you’ll be expected to do once you have completed school along with networking with individuals within companies to not only stay connected but to have a professional speak on your behalf in the future,” said Kamryon Johnson, a second-year student in the five-year Architecture program at Detroit Mercy.
As stated, getting a good internship depends on how much work you put into networking and putting yourself out there, but people sometimes have no idea how much work internships can be.
“Students’ schedules can be very packed, and many may not understand that the job search, even for internships, is similar to taking another class on top of your schedule,” Knowles said.
Making sure you can handle your coursework and on top of that an internship is a big decision, which is why many decide to find an internship in the summertime where that workload is less.
“The hardest part of getting an internship is adapting to the professional environment and realizing sometimes what you were taught in school does not always apply to the field,” Johnson said.
Obtaining the internship is great and all but making sure you feel prepared at the interview is a big key part.
CCPD has many tools that students are free to use at any time such as a “Big Interview” which gives you a chance to record yourself answering real interview questions. Knowles gave some tips on how to nail that interview and feel prepared.
“Employers don’t like to see an objective on a resume, because that tells them what you want from them,” Knowles said. “Instead an employer wants to know what you can do for them, even at the internship level.”
There are many different events that are held on campus that can help you with job searching and much more, such as the career fair that CCPD holds each semester. Every little bit helps.
“Be patient and start early, especially if you are thinking about getting an internship for the upcoming summer,” Knowles said.
