Ready for an internship or looking for a job? Find instructions on how to begin the process and access support resources to help you achieve your goals. 

Internships are short-term work experiences in professional settings that provide undergraduates with a combination of training, supervision, and evaluation. Internships offer you the chance to apply what you have learned in the classroom, gain valuable experience and skills, and make connections in a target field. While internships vary widely by industry and organization, good internships offer learning opportunities that are beneficial to both the intern and the employer. 

Jobs, on the other hand, are generally full-time employment opportunities targeted at post-graduates.   

Whether you’re looking for an internship or job, the process of finding and securing opportunities in target fields is quite similar. Below are five pieces of the job search every Lawrentian should know.    

  1. Identify your target (below)  

  1. Write a Resume (opens new page)

  1. Write a Cover Letter (opens new page)

  1. Build Your Professional Community and Social Capital (Network!) (opens new page)

  1. Prepare to Interview (opens new page)

Identify Your Target/Goal

Do your research to target your search. You can save yourself a lot of headaches down the line by devoting time to answering the following questions prior to beginning your search:  

  • What career field(s) or position(s) are you interested in exploring this upcoming summer? 

  • What do you already know about the field(s) or position(s) you are interested in, and what do you need to learn? 

  • What sort of environment would you like work in? 

  • Where do you want to be geographically during your internship? 

  • What is the timeline/deadline for applying for internships in your field of interest?  *Remember, some industries and competitive internship programs start recruiting summer interns during the fall semester. 

  • How can you leverage Lawrence’s network to find jobs and internships?  

  • How much money do you need to support yourself over the summer?  Do you need to look for paid opportunities? 

    • *Please read the standards outlined in the Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act for more information on compensation for interns at for-profit companies.  

    • Also – see our “Internship Funding” section!  

Leveraging the Lawrence Network  

If you’re not leveraging the Lawrence network in your search, you’re missing out!  Set up an appointment with a Career Advisor to discuss your individualized job search strategy, and how you can best leverage Lawrence’s alumni network through Viking Connect. (When scheduling an appointment, start be selecting your career community from the appointment categories; if you have not joined a career community, select "General Advice & Getting Started.")

Handshake 

As the most common way to look for an internship is online, Handshake is Lawrence’s premium platform for jobs, internships, on-campus interviews, and events tailored to your career interests. Handshake also offers two special features aimed at internships: Reviews, for information from former interns about their internship experiences, and interviews, for special insights about an internship’s interview process. 

Click the button below to login to Handshake or check out our Handshake Help Center for more information!