Sasha Rivers, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and a student at Salish Kootenai College in Montana, enjoyed her internship experience working with the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Renaissance Program.
By Jack Soto, Program Administrator, Internships and Career Readiness
Now that you know the benefits of internships, you are ready to embark on your search for an internship. But where should you look?
Believe it or not, in today’s tech era, finding an internship does not start with your computer. There are many other sources that are more useful for gathering information about an internship that you will find enjoyable than searching online. A few of those places are listed below and, to some extent, may help you find an internship you will enjoy while decreasing the stress involved with leaving home.
- Friends – Friends and peers can offer the truest information about an internship experience. They do not have much reason to lie about liking or hating their time working in a professional environment. In fact, they have better insight on how to use your time wisely while interning, and help set the stage for your experience.
- Campus Career Centers – It is hard to believe that this place is often a missed opportunity, but it is. Frequently, students do not take advantage of the resources and the PEOPLE in this campus office. These centers offer career advising and in some cases, counseling on meeting your career goals. It is likely the friends you talk to about their internship experiences used this office once or twice. Each campus is different and offices may have different names and you may need to search for those who can assist in your research.
- Corporate or Professional Sites – If you have an interest in working for Google, then go to Google’s website to learn what types of opportunities they offer to assist you in your goal of working for them. You can do this type of online search and connection with most any larger company, corporation, or firm in most any industry. Additionally, for your major, search for national, state, and local organizations such as associations that serve your field to learn if they have internship listings on their site. In some cases, these companies and organizations are looking for Native community members to be a part of their team or organization.
- Your Community – Many tribes have internship programs of varying size, from large programs to those with just one or two positions. Check with tribal education or human resources departments. In many cases your tribe might create an internship just for you, which will lead to more internship opportunities for interested community members. You never know how your investigative work into an opportunity will develop the professional environment around you.
Start with the above places in your search for internship and other career development opportunities. Although I down-played Internet searches for opportunities, the Internet can be helpful. Sites like internships.com, Idealist.com, and (even) LinkedIn.com offer up great resources in helping to connect you to internships and employers. It may not seem easy to find the specific position you may want, but broadening your search strategy may link you to an opportunity that can enhance your goals; and, that is what interning is really all about.
Good luck with your internship search! And please be sure to share other sources you find with Jack Soto so the College Fund so we can share with other students embarking on their internship and career searches!
