Internship Advising

By: Career and Professional Development

Question: 

“Why do you want an internship?” 

Answers: 

“Well, I heard it will look good on a resume.”

“It will give me a chance to practice what I’ve learned in class. You know, to see what it’s like on a job in the real world.”

“I heard you can’t get hired without an internship, that employers want to see you have experienced one.”

“I want to find out if this is the kind of work I really want to do, to see if this career really fits who I am.”

“It will teach me professional skills, and I can learn about networking and making contacts.”

Question:

“Well, why can’t you find that out with a part-time job? What is the difference between an internship and part-time work?”

Answer:

“An internship is completely about learning. The focus is on you, the student, and the learning outcomes you and your supervisor together set out to achieve. Your work may benefit the organization, but the real goal is advancing your education.”

This dialogue is the very first exchange that happens at Internship 101. The Department of Career and Professional Development (CPD) offer this weekly workshop to any student of any year who wants to explore the process of finding an internship.

The training session covers how to think about the logistics — When? Where? Do I need a paid internship? Do I want to earn academic credit?  It also leads students in how to use the resources of CPD to conduct research, find opportunities, network with alumni through Gonzaga Alumni Mentoring Program (GAMP), become prepared with professional documents (resume and cover letter) and even how to nail an interview!

 

Finally, Internship 101 engages students to think and reflect about their role in experiencing a successful internship. We encourage each student to:

• Consider what they want to learn and how to make it happen.
• Consider how to build their work character and ethic and make it meaningful.
• Consider relationships, build rapport and seek individuals who model best practices.

Over Christmas break take a moment or two with your ZAG and begin a discussion about the best time for an internship. Career and Professional Development has qualified staff ready to assist in making a plan for every ZAG who wants the best in experiential education. Contact us at careers@gonzaga.edu