About 80 percent of AU students complete at least one internship during their undergraduate study. For many, this internship leads directly to their first job. Interns work with businesses, in labs, with different levels of government and with arts, community, social and international organizations. Some internship sites have included The White House, the National Zoo, the Kennedy Center, the FBI, NASA, numerous embassies, AOL, and many more.
Internships can enhance your academic work, introduce you to new fields, help you develop or improve skills, and build your resume. Internships vary from volunteer service to work for pay and may be either full- or part-time positions. Academic credit is also available in many cases.
The Career Center offers advising, workshops, and resources to help students successfully find and apply for internships both in Washington, DC and across the globe. As an undergraduate, graduate student, or alum within one year of graduation, you are invited to regularly meet with your advisor. Kogod students are given these services via the Kogod Center for Career Development.
The Career Center also offers all students and alumni the opportunity to use AUCareerWeb, an online database of jobs and internships. Students can create profiles, upload resumes, and view job postings for a variety of industries with this software.
You may discover positions that are not publicly advertised by tapping into the hidden market. Once you find a position, your likelihood for success is often greater because of the existing relationship that you or someone you know has with the employer. Competing with a smaller applicant pool also helps. To uncover these hidden opportunities:
-Share your interests with friends, relatives, professors, and other influential people who may alert you to openings or refer you to hiring managers.
-Meet new people at Career Center events and networking receptions.
-Join professional associations and membership organizations.
-Connect with friends and colleagues through professional networking sites such as LinkedIn.
-Create a new internship by submitting a thorough proposal to an employer.
-Turn your internship or temporary position into a full-time job.
-Stay alert to opportunities for promotion within your organization.
-Utilize reputable staffing firms at no cost to you
The applicant pool tends to be larger for positions that are publicly advertised. Use the methods below to find internships and jobs in the open market:
-Log into AU CareerWeb and search for positions that are specifically posted for AU students and alumni.
-Tailor your search according to industry or occupation through specialized sites including Idealist for nonprofit positions, USAJOBS, and others.
-Search more broadly on general sites including Indeed and Craigslist.
-Target specific openings listed on organizations' Web sites.
-Speak with employers at the AU Job and Internship Fair each September and March and check our event calendar for details about other fairs in the area.
-Peruse professional association journals and listservs and flip to the career section of newspapers.
Report this Entry