As the competition for jobs increase, college students are no longer competing against their peers for jobs. One way to be ahead of the competition and gain some practical work experience at Sinclair Community College is through internships, according to Melissa Mann, administrative assistant, internship office.
“Internships are designed to be a culminating experience,” she said. “Essentially it is a way for students to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it hands on, while at the same time getting an academic credit for what they do.”
To apply for internships, students must be working toward an academic program, must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and must be attending Sinclair at least part-time. Students must also sign up for the internship credit, and after filling out the proper paper work, are deemed eligible or ineligible based on the prerequisites.
“The purpose of the internship is for students nearing the end of their degree looking for that experience,” Mann said. “It is not for students wanting to gain experience in their first quarter, unfortunately this is not an option for them.”
Internships.com, a new website that was launched in March 2010 is trying to make the process of finding internships fast and easy. Internships.com is a free database with easily searchable internship listings nationwide, according to Robin Richards, co-founder and CEO of internships.com.
“Students can search for opportunities by geographic location and key words, in addition to filtering by paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time listings or by internships that offer course credit,” Richards said. “Once a student has completed the profile or uploaded their resume, applying for an internship is just a few clicks away.”
“You need to have an impressive resume, do your homework by researching the company, write a thoughtful and clear cover letter and submit your application,” Richards said. “If you are called for an interview, dress appropriately, be polite and don’t forget to be yourself.”
Sometimes a student may have to take an unpaid internship, but that is better than nothing.
“Although no one would like the idea of unpaid internships do it for the experience and do it for the sacrifice of working there,” Mann said. “What you get out of it is what you put on your resume, the practical experience, the contacts you will make, the networking… just getting out there because it is worth it. It is worth it to consider.”