Internship Basics
What is an internship?
An internship is an on-the-job learning experience that connects academic preparation with the world of work. Under the supervision of a professional supervisor and sponsored by a faculty member if done for credit, internships provide students with paraprofessional work experience and introduce the student to a particular work environment.
Internships may be full-time or part-time, may take place during the academic year or during the summer, and may or may not be paid. Although many students prefer to do an internship for academic credit and have it appear on their transcript, you may do one simply for the experience if it does not fit into your academic calendar. If you plan to do your internship for credit, you must have a faculty sponsor and have completed at least nine term credits with at least two of those credits in the same department as the internship.
Why should I do an internship?
Employers are looking to hire individuals with experience,and college students can gain great experience by participating in internships. Internships can help you to develop new skills and positive work habits. They can help you to explore your interests and career options. Internships can also be a means to gain future employment contacts. In fact, many companies utilize internship opportunities as a means to staff their future full-time positions.
How do I find an internship?
There are many ways to find an internship at Cornell and our internship resources page can help you find the best place to start. The Career Engagement Center resource library has directories and many individual listings of internship opportunities. Faculty members and alumni can be excellent resources. Many internship listings are now provided on the web, and more examples can be seen for each Cornell program that sponsors internships. However, you may need to find or create your own opportunity and the staff in the Career Engagement Center can help. Be sure to check out the internship checklist for additional information!