- Work Responsibilities
- Number of Credits
- Determining where Credit Applies
- Establish UVU policy Compliance
An internship is a temporary work experience that allows the individual to get some hands-on, real world, entry-level experience under their belt with the supervision and training of an experienced professional. Some internships are paid while others are unpaid, but the main focus of an internship is on experience. An internship should include learning goals that connect concepts learned in the classroom to real world scenarios in an effort to gain practical experience and help the intern accomplish their career goals. Internships are important because they offer a number of benefits to both students and employers.
Is this what I really want to do for a career?
Devoting years of your life and education to a career is a big commitment. How can you be sure that it’s something that you want to do for the rest of your life if you’ve never done it before? An internship can help answer this question by letting you sample the industry without a long-term commitment. A profession may not always be what we think it is and getting your hands dirty with some good old-fashioned, real-world experience is the best way to find out if you’ve found the job of your dreams or just another 9-to-5 that pays the bills. The sooner you are able to figure this out, the sooner you can be on your way to having a fulfilling career in what you’re passionate about.
Connections with professionals in the field
Experience
Experience is golden, and the more experience you have the more valuable you are. Employers are always looking for candidates with experience. More experience means more skill, and more skill means you have more to offer a future employer. But how do you get experience if no one will hire you because you have no experience? An internship is a good place to start. Employers don’t expect interns to have a lot of experience or even any experience. It’s a good place to get your foot in the door. Interns are expected to be responsible, reliable, and professional just like an employee, but the objective of an internship is to get some basic hands-on experience. Additionally, an internship lets you develop or learn some skills that may be much harder to develop in a classroom setting. Think of it this way… reading how to ride a bike and actually riding a bike are two different things. Sometimes the best way to learn how to do something is to jump in and try it out.
Enhance your resume
An internship on a resume shows a prospective employer that you have some familiarity with the industry including some real-world training. This is especially true if the skills that were developed during the internship are listed on the resume. It can also be an indicator of your commitment to your career because it shows you’ve taken the initiative to get some hands-on experience. Additionally, a solid reference from an internship host shows that you’re trustworthy which is so important in today’s fleeting applicant pool. An internship with a respected employer could set you above the competition.
Benefits for employers
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There are lots of different ways to find an internship and lots of different resources. But they typically involve one thing: networking. The right internship is out there somewhere and sometimes finding it is just a matter of asking around. Here are some different ways to find an internship:
Utilize UVU's Internship Coordinator
Ask Faculty & Advisors for a referral
Reach out to your network for resources and directions in the industry
Reach out to your dream company or organization.
Do your research, explain your career goals, inquire about opportunities. Be personable, polite, and professional. Make sure to get names and contact information to follow up. People who are actively involved in the industry sometimes have the best information to offer and may be willing to lend a helping hand. It never hurts to ask. Come to the Career and Internship Center for resume and interviewing preparation.
To receive credit for your internship you will need to take an online course in conjunction with your internship experience. How this credit is placed depends on the major. (Some majors, like Criminal Justice, have an internship class built into the program that students are required to complete. For Criminal Justice majors, this credit goes towards that class. For other majors the credit can go towards an upper division elective.) Like any other course this includes coursework, due dates, and paying tuition. Be aware that 60 working internship hours a semester (about 5 hours a week) equals 1 academic credit for Criminal Justice and Forensic Science majors. This is important when determining how many credits you’ll be taking based on how many hours a week you can comfortably fit into your schedule and what your internship host is able to accommodate – something you should also establish with your internship host beforehand. Also you need to work with your site supervisor to determine three to four objectives that go under the description area on the internship application for credit. The internship class instructor for the criminal justice department is Melissa Noyes.
Below is the process for receiving credit for an internship. Please note that you can’t receive credit for past internships that you have already completed.
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By Established Deadlines and of Quality Work