What is an internship?
The UNC Career Center defines an internship as a short-term work experience in a field related to your major and career goals. It’s a chance to learn by doing!
In an internship you should be doing mostly meaningful work that helps you learn and grow as a future professional. While you may do some basic administrative tasks, the internship should be focused on developing skills specific to your future career.
Internships can be:
- Full- or part-time
- Paid or unpaid
- During one semester (fall, spring, summer) or all year long
Why do an internship?
- Helps you stand out in today’s job market
- Allows you to explore careers to figure out what you like and don’t like
- Gives you the chance to meet professionals and build a network (who may be future references)
- Is a great way to build skills that help you in both work and life
- Over 60% of new hires have some form of internship experience.
What do I need to participate in an internship?
- Non-Credit Internships: The only qualifications are those set by the employer. There are no college restrictions.
- Academic Department Credit Internships: These depend on your academic department. Requirements can vary a lot, so check with your department for details.
How do I earn credit?
Since requirements vary greatly across programs check with your academic department for more details. Only credit offered by academic departments can fulfill the Experiential Education requirement or count toward your degree in other ways (i.e. elective, etc.).
Not all academic departments offer credit for internships or may have policies that prevent you from doing so. If your company is still requiring you to earn credit, see a UNC Career Center coach to explore the option of SPCL 500 which can be used to satisfy your company’s requirements.
When should I apply for an internship?
In depends on:
- The industry – some industries recruit early!
- The semester you would like to intern (fall, spring, summer)
- Whether you want to earn class credit
As a rule of thumb: the earlier you begin your search, the better! Check out internship listings a semester or year before you want to apply to get an idea of when applications typically open and close for your desired industry.
Where should I look for internships?
Here are some great places to start:
- Handshake – a job board just for students and recent alumni
- Other job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, etc
- LinkedIn – great for finding internships and networking
- Industry Specific Job Boards – this will vary depending on what industry you want to go into. The best way to find these job boards is to search “job board for ____”
Summer study abroad or internship?
There is no one right answer to this question! Think about your goals and explore your options:
- Can you study AND intern abroad?
- Could you study abroad during the year and intern in the summer (or the other way around)?
