What are you doing this summer?
If you haven't made your summer plans yet, now is an ideal time to consider securing an internship. It's never too early, or too late, to gain valuable work experience in your potential career field.
Internships serve many purposes. Many students pursue internships in fields that are closely related to what they'd like to do professionally to help them decide if a particular field is what they imagined it to be. Some students pursue internships in unrelated fields to broaden their perspective and develop new skills. An internship can be an invaluable experience that teaches students how to apply what they've learned in the classroom to real-world challenges in the work place. Internships help students hone professional skills like time management, organizational skills, communication skills, and business etiquette. And of course, students can earn academic credit for their work experience.
There are several ways that Ag Sciences students can investigate and apply for internships:
- Check out the Employment and Internship Directory (http://internships.cas.psu.edu/). This directory lists more than 350 employers and nearly 200 job opportunities for you to explore. Each listing will provide company information as well as a brief description of the position being offered. Employers are anxious to hire our students, so don’'t miss this opportunity!
- Speak to the Academic Program Coordinator for your intended major. Often times, companies make contact with academic programs regarding available internships. These opportunities may not be listed on the directory. Ask about what these companies are looking for in terms of prior experience and academic background.
- Contact employers in your local area. You may find that a summer job can become a valuable internship with the addition of the academic credit component and setting some goals for the experience. Again, the faculty in your intended academic department can assist you in working with employers to help them understand the requirements of an internship and their role in supervising an intern.
- Visit your campus' Career Services office. There you will find assistance in how to locate internships, resume writing, career counseling and more!
Question? Contact Debbe Little at dxm16@psu.edu.
Return to Campus Connections list of articles.
