Internships
What is an internship?
Simply put, an internship is a structured opportunity for you to learn, grow, and contribute in a professional setting. There are many variations of internships: They might be paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time, taken for credit or no credit. They could be local, national, or abroad. They might be called field work, community service, volunteer work, or internships. Regardless of these variations, what makes an internship an internship are these common features.
An internship:
- Is a structured learning experience
- Provides opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in a “real world” professional environment
- Encourages you to develop and refine skills that are transferable to a variety of work settings
- Has a defined beginning and end
- Includes a position description with relevant and clearly defined learning objectives
- Provides for supervision/feedback from a professional w/ expertise and background in that field
- Includes resources, equipment, facilities that support learning goals
An internship should not be:
- Primarily clerical or unskilled labor
- An experience you gain nothing from
- A vague, undefined experience
- An unguided/unsupervised experience
Melissa Parks
(252) 328-6596
parksr19@ecu.edu
You may schedule an
appointment in Bate 3016
Some companies require at least two internship experiences. The average conversion rate from intern to full-time hire is 7 out of 10 students.
Ideally, you should apply 1 or 2 semesters before your desired date of internship. On average, employers begin recruiting interns 8 months in advance.
No internship currently available? Ask for an interview or job-shadowing experience. Visit HANDSHAKE frequently, as employers recruit daily.