With a new semester approaching, every student has to meet with their adviser to check in and go over classes that need to be taken over the next semester. For upperclassmen, this meeting with your adviser may be the perfect time to talk about internships and how and when to go about getting one. Internships can do a great deal for you when applying for a job after graduating; a good one can set you apart from the rest of the pack.
Robin DeRosa, Associate Professor of English and the Assistant Department Chair, said, “I strongly recommend an internship to everyone. They are an invaluable experience that can change your career.” Most teachers that you speak with will agree that internships are important to finding a good job. They can provide you with real world work place experiences that a classroom simply cannot give you.
DeRosa’s only instructions were, “find a variety of internships near where you live, gather your information, and make an appointment at the Bagley House.” The Global Education Office (GEO) at Bagley handles all of the internships for Plymouth State students.
There are many steps to follow to get an internship and you need to plan ahead. You need at least nine months in advance to plan, interview for, prepare for, and start your internship. Depending on the internship, you may want to allot even more time to prepare.
Once you’ve gathered the information you need to know and what internships interest you, you have an intake interview at the GEO. There, an instructor will find out more about you to make sure you have the right internships in mind. From there the instructor approves and sets up your interviews with the sites that you’ve chosen.
An internship is like a class; you have homework, a syllabus, a presentation, and normal class processes throughout your time with the site. Your instructor will help you and walk you through every step to ensure your success.
Recent Plymouth Graduate, Dean Vantassel, completed an internship at a hotel chain in Boston before he graduated. “My internship really helped me a lot, it allowed me to get the work experience I needed and it set me up with a great job after I finished school,” he explained. He chose to enter the military after school, but that just furthers his resume and experience.
An internship can be a vehicle not only for your experience in the workplace, but for your career as a whole if you research it correctly. Dean’s internship sets him up for success now and throughout his career in many more ways than just a diploma would, and it could do the same for you.
For more information on internships go to http://www.plymouth.edu/services/internships/internship-info-session/.