Resources available to help students find internships

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photo by Josie Kidder

Employers talk with students about their job opportunities during a recent Career Fair on campus.

One of the most important things about attending college is gaining experience in a chosen future industry. What other way is more beneficial to obtain knowledge in the field than getting an internship?

While some internships do not pay students, others do. Internships offer students the chance to gain knowledge about their field of study, and let them see what it would be like in the real world. Many degree programs also offer course credit for an internship.

Locating the Nearest Resource Center

To start, a great way to see available internships is to visit a local resource or career center.

Vincennes University’s Career Center encourages students looking for a job or internship to make an appointment at their office to reap the many opportunities they offer.

The Career Center’s mission is to connect employers with students. They do this by helping students polish their resumes, setting up LinkedIn workshops, and assisting them with networking by using Blazer Career Link.

Blazer Career link is a tool the Career Center uses to connect students and employees and is where many employers and businesses go to post job and internship openings. 

Donna Taylor Bouchie, the director of the Career Center, commented on why students should take advantage of the benefits offered by the Career Center, and how it can help students in the future.

“The saying ‘you only have one chance to make a first impression’ is very true; that is why it is imperative students start to build their resumes now. An internship is just an extension of your classes, and it gives students knowledge and experience about the field they are pursuing,” Bouchie said.

She added, “The value of an internship not only gives students a real experience of what they will be doing in their field, but also helps solidify if they are in the right major or not. ”

She also said that on the 2019-2020 graduation survey, 65% of VU graduates had some type of experience in their field before graduating and reported that they were hired quicker and earned more pay.

There will be two career fairs designed to bring employers to VU put on by the Career Center in March. One will be the Technology Career Fair on March 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the other will be the Business and Public Service Career Fair on March 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both career fairs will be located in the Jefferson Student Union and will have their doors closed at 12:45 p.m.

The VU Career Center is located on the third floor of Vigo Hall. To make an appointment, visit their office or email them at [email protected].

VU also has many bulletin boards in almost every building listing available internships of career opportunities related to their department.

Surfing the Web

Internships can also be found online. There are many websites students can use to find scholarships in their area.

Indeed.com is a helpful job search engine that shows viewers different opportunities all across the nation. Not only does it list available jobs, but it also lists many different available internships.  

To find an internship, readers need to type in the job title, keywords, or the company that fits what they are looking for, then type in where they want the job/internship to be located (including if they want to work remotely), and then hit search. 

Chegg is also a website that catalogs different open internships and jobs. Chegg also has a career advice section giving readers advice on discovering their options and how to get the job or internship. All readers have to do is type in the industry and location they are wanting to work in, and a list will load up in seconds.

There are many resources available to help students find internships.