Internships
An internship is an opportunity for supervised practical experience in a career field of interest. Internships can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, and are offered by a wide variety of businesses and organizations. Internships are always temporary.
The Internship Experience
An internship can be an important part of your university experience. It can help to balance academic work with practical, hands-on experience. It is a wonderful way to learn more about a career field, job type, or work environment.
The internship experience can help you in several ways:
- You learn more about what a full-time job in a particular career might be like on a daily basis, helping you to make on-going adjustments to your career plans.
- You gain valuable experience for your resume. Employers really do care whether you have worked in a field before, even if it was just as an intern.
- You will gain confidence in your own abilities.
- You will meet people in the industry and gain professional contacts.
- Internship supervisors can be valuable as references during a subsequent job search. Before your internship ends, ask your supervisor whether he/she would be willing to be a reference for you, either over the telephone or by reference letter.
Remember that even if you find that you don’t like a particular career area after all, that information can be extremely valuable – better than finding out after you graduate!
Types of Internship Opportunities to Seek
Explore internship opportunities that match your skills and career interests. Remember, an internship that is great for one person might not be right for another. Search for opportunities that complement your academic program, help you explore a new direction, or challenge you to grow in new ways.
Determine your priorities: Do you primarily want career-related experience? The opportunity to travel? Funds to support tuition costs? Sometimes you will have to make choices among these items. If you have thought about these questions ahead of time, you will be better prepared to make a decision.
When To Do an Internship
You can do an internship at any point while you are at BU. In fact, we increasingly hear stories of recent graduates who are doing internships as a way into a career field. We suggest, however, that students not do internships until they have completed their freshman year.
Internships are available during the summer months as well as during academic semesters. Summer internships might be either full-time or part-time positions. Internships during the academic year should only be part time. Be sure to find out what the expected time commitment is during the job search and interview process.
When To Start Looking For an Internship
The answer to this question depends on what kind of internship experience you are looking for. Many employers with formalized, competitive programs begin the selection process several months in advance. Some might have application deadlines a year or more in advance. Most employers, however, start looking for summer interns between late January and late March. If you have your resume prepared and you know what kind of experience you are looking for, you will be ready when opportunities arise.
Internships for the fall and spring are usually advertised either very early in the semester, or late in the preceding semester.
The key to finding an internship that’s right for you is preparation and a timely start in the process.
Getting Academic Credit for an Internship
In general, BU does not give academic credit for internships. There are some exceptions; for example, in the College of Communications an internship is an integral part of some programs. Any student interested in receiving academic credit should speak with his or her academic advisor or department head (not the Center for Career Development), but please understand that it is unlikely that credit will be granted.
The Employer Wants BU to Sign a Waiver of Liability
Very few employers ask for this, so chances are good that you will not encounter the issue. Boston University does not sign waivers of liability for internship placements. Please check your student health insurance to see what is covered, and discuss this with the prospective employer. Please understand thoroughly any waiver documents that you sign.