Internship Process & Checklist

• Think about how your internship will fit into your academic schedule or summer plans.
• Start your search early. Give yourself at least 3-4 months lead time to research, prepare, and apply for positions.
• Talk to your academic advisor if you plan to get credit for your internship to talk about ideas and how it will fit into your academic plan. Remember that you can get credit for summer internships but you must reserve a block during the school year to use towards the credit (you cannot receive more than 9 credits in one academic year).
• Target your interests. What do you want to learn from the internship? What skills, interests, and strengths do you already possess and what do you want to further develop? What industry or type of work are you considering? Where would you like your internship to be located? Have answers to these questions before you sit down to create a list of potential employers. Need help? Talk to a career advisor in Career Services.
• Write or polish your resume. Most internships will require one, along with a cover letter. Contact Career Services for help in creating a resume and cover letter.

In a reactive search, you are applying for internships that already exist. These can be found in a variety of ways:

• Use the resource library in Career Services to find internship directories and individual listings sent from companies and organizations.
• Click here for the internship links page on the Career Services website. Although most do not require a username and password, a few do. Contact Career Services for access to Internships.com and other resources.
• Click here to look through the listing of Cornell Fellows available this semester or contact RJ Holmes.
• Career Services belongs to the Iowa College Recruiting Network(ICoRN), a group of private schools in Iowa dedicated to helping students find full-time and internship opportunities. ICoRN sponsors Interview Days throughout the academic year. Contact Career Services to get registered and to find out about upcoming events.
• Contact your faculty advisor and/or faculty members in your area of discipline. He/she may know of internships available to your specific interest area.

In a proactive search, you begin by identifying companies or organizations that fit your needs and/or contacting people who may help in your search. Some resources include:

• Talk with your faculty advisor. Whether you are doing the internship for credit or not, your department’s faculty are valuable resources. Often they know about alumni who are working in your field of interest, know of internships that students within their discipline have completed, and have information on specific internships that might not be posted elsewhere. They may also recommend some career areas you had not considered.
• Look through listings of internships done in the past by Cornell students. Check out the list on this page or ask Career Services for help.
• If you are interested in doing an internship locally, both Career Services and faculty members may know of local companies that hire particular majors.
• Attend career fairs. Employers often use fairs to locate students for internships. Talk to Career Services about career fairs that would work for you.
• Design your own internship. Identify companies or organizations that interest you or people working in the line of work you hope to pursue. Then find out if they have internship programs or would like to take on an intern for a block or a summer. Be sure to stay in contact with your advisor if you plan to get credit so you are seeking out companies that fit your academic need. Make an appointment with a career advisor in Career Services for ways to find companies an organizations.

• Talk to the faculty member who will sponsor your internship if you are doing it for credit. Make sure it meets their requirements and your needs. Set up learning objectives
• Fill out an internship proposal form by clicking HERE, have it signed by your academic sponsor, and turn it in to the registrar’s office several months ahead of your internship date.
• Contact your site supervisor and discuss your mutual expectations. Make sure you are clear on your start and end date, working hours, the organization’s dress code, where to park, whether or not you will be paid, what projects you might be working on, and any other information that will be helpful to know ahead of time.

• Be professional. Report to work on time, complete assignments accurately and on time, and maintain a positive attitude. Keep conversations at work professional in nature. Respect the organization’s dress code.
• Ask questions. Be clear about what you do, what the organization’s mission is, and how your project fits into the companies goals.
• If not offered, ask to visit other departments to get a clearer picture of the entire company mission and activities.
• Even if your faculty sponsor does not require one, keep an internship journal. This will be very beneficial when it is time to assess your experience and/or update your resume. It will also be valuable during your job search when you discuss your internship with a potential employer.
• Start a portfolio of your completed projects if applicable.
• Cultivate good working relationships and start building your professional network.

• When your internship is over, send your site supervisor a thank you letter expressing your gratitude for the experience. You may also want to ask for the letter of recommendation or if you could use him or her as a reference in the future.
• Remember that your site supervisor and others you have met through your internship are now part of your professional network. Resolve to keep them abreast of your career plans. Make sure they have your current contact information.