Academic Internship Office

Internships 101:  Preparing for the Workplace

What you don't learn in class

Note:  This "course" assumes you have learned or will learn about resumes, letters and interviewing through other sources, including the PLU Internship web site.  "Internships 101" does not contain guidance on those topics.

Most students have an unrealistic expectation and vision for what their life will be like in their career and in their life after graduation.  The purpose of the Internship Program is to help you develop a realistic perspective of your future in your career and it is the purpose of this brief "course" to help set you up for success as you transition into your internship experience, the "ground zero" for your reality check of your career field.

Intangible Qualities and Qualifications

Most job announcements and all internship announcements on the PLU web site, state the qualifications necessary to apply for the position.  These usually focus on job skills such as computer skills, writing skills, ability to analyze data, etc.  What is not noted are the intangible qualities that employers seek in addition to the job skills that will assure the candidate will be successful in not just the job, but in the workplace overall.

Where to Start

Begin with what you want to learn.  What do you want to do and learn in an internship?  Be specific: "to get some experience" is not enough.  

  • What kind of experience do you want to get?  
  • What do you think is going to benefit you?   
  • What particular things do you want to improve or develop?

After find a few internships that interest you, (See Search Process for help)  

  • What qualifications do they ask for?  
  • What else do you think would be important to do the job well that are not listed in the Qualifications section?  
  • Write that out. Now go back and see if you can enhance your response to the question on what you want to learn from your internship.
Remember, your internship experience is unique to you. No one else is likely to have the same emphasis on what they want to learn or skills or characteristics they want to develop that you will. You can use this worksheet to help you think through some possibilities.

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