Internship Basics
Step One - Define your goals
Step Two - Explore and identify internship opportunities
Step Three - Getting hired!
Making the most of your internship
Funding, Fellowships, and Internships for Academic Credit
What is an Internship?
What is the value of an Internship?
An internship refers to experiences outside the classroom that enable students to develop skills related to their academic or career interests. This type of experience is also called experiential education.
An internship is both an experience in itself, and practice for the job search. A well-researched and thought out internship will provide exposure to professional settings and contacts; help you develop or enhance valuable skills; and ultimately provide an opportunity which can lead to thoughtful career decision making. Along the way, you'll pick up the skills necessary for any job search.
Why Intern? An internship affords opportunities to:
Extend and apply skills learned in a liberal arts setting, including problem posing, analysis, and synthesis
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Test career options to help clarify and refine career objectives and goals. Begin to develop competencies (skills and knowledge) specific to a career or environment
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Develop skills necessary for any work environment, including communication, writing, interpersonal connections, teamwork, time management, and goal setting
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Build skills necessary for a job search, including search strategies, resume writing and interviewing
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Start to build a network of professional contacts
Step One -- Define your goals
Your first step should be to ask yourself why you want to do an internship, and what you hope to get out of it. In other words, what are your goals?
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Do you want to test your "fit" in a particular career field?
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Do you want to develop certain skills related to a type of career?
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Do you want the internship to help with your academic choices at Brown?
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Do you want to apply or enhance skills that you have been developing at Brown?
Finding a focus, establishing learning goals and actually writing a Learning Proposal, is a good way to start the process of looking for the right internship. The learning proposal helps to help guide your search and should outline strategies for meeting the goals.
Further, you should ask yourself some practical questions:
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Where do you want to be geographically? In your hometown? Do you want to explore a new environment? Stay in Providence ?
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Do you need to get paid?
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Do you need housing, or can you live at home? Do you have relatives or friends you can live with?What will your living expenses be, based on your travel/commuting/housing/food/social needs?
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If unpaid, will you need to find a paying job?
Thinking about both learning goals and the practical aspects of an internship will get you going in the right direction. Career counselors are available to assist you with self-assessment, goal setting or developing your learning proposal.
Step Two - Explore and identify internship opportunities
Internship Web Search
Internship Resources
Other suggestions
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Attend an Internship Workshop (see Career Development calendar for dates and times)
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Meet with a career counselor to uncover your skills, interests and personality type
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Attend employer internship information sessions
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Talk to alums on BRUnet
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Sign up to receive BrowntoBrown emails
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Spend time looking at the internship resources in the Career Library in Pembroke Hall
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Check with your department to see if they have a listserv you could join
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Talk to professors, friends, research opportunities on your own
Additional Brown offices with internship resources (partial listing)
Step Three - Getting hired!
Internships, as you are well aware, are very competitive. Your success rate increases dramatically when your cover letter and resume convincingly show an employer you’re the right candidate for the position. Likewise, the interview gives you an opportunity to prove yourself to the employer. Getting your documents from the application pile and onto the interview list takes some preparation and planning.
If you’re unsure how to correctly write a strong resume and/or cover letter or conduct yourself in an interview, consider attending one of our workshops. Need your application material critiqued? Come into the Career Development Center Library during walk-in hours (Monday through Friday, 1 - 4 pm ) or call our office 863-3326 to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.
Be sure you’re fully informed of upcoming deadlines and application materials requested by employers. Some employers on (Brown Career Connection) require transcripts. Please have your transcript scanned and uploaded in PDF file, 55K max. Occasionally employers request writing samples. Please pay careful attention to assure you have submitted the correct documents for each application. If you are unsure about procedures or experience difficulty with any part of the application process, please contact the Employer Relations Office at 863-3342. If you’re unsure speak to a career counselor during walk-in hours.
Helpful job/internship preparation tip sheets
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Work with your supervisor right from the start to set goals – have regular meetings. Agree on your assignments.
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Start slowly – learn about the people and the environment. Communicate with sensitivity and respect, with everyone in the workplace.
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Be a team player – offer to pitch in to do work that might not be the most interesting.
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Take advantage of opportunities to network – ask to attend meetings and conferences. Talk to the person sitting next to you!
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Find a mentor. Develop the relationship. Keep in touch. You may need a recommendation in the future.
Making the Most of Your Internship(s) – Quint article
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The Brown Internship Award Prgram
The purpose of the Brown Internship Award Program is to provide financial assistance to students pursuing career-related UNPAID OR LOW PAYING internships. The BIAP/AIP Program furthers the goal of continually enhancing the Brown educational experience through student initiatives and experiential learning outside, but not unrelated to, the classroom
Please click HERE to learn more about the Brown Internship Award Program.
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Career Development Library has several binders with fellowship opportunities
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Dean of the College Fellowships Office
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Check with additional offices around campus
Academic internships allow students to combine an independent study with outside work experience and receive course credit for it. Typically, students work 10-12 hours per week with a Providence business or non-profit organization. A strong, rigorous academic component must compliment the work experience. A faculty member advises the project and evaluates the student’s work. For information on getting started, the application form and deadlines, contact the Resource Center (located in Rhode Island Hall, phone (3-3011). Deadlines are early, so plan ahead (early November for 2 nd semester internships, early April for 1 st semester internships).
