Frequently Asked Questions: Internships

Benefits of Completing an Internship:

  1. Test Your Career Choices

    An internship allows you to "try-on" a career before making a long-term commitment. It can help you discover if the career you are considering is the right path for you.

  2. Increase Your Marketability 

    Employers consistently rate internship experience as one of the top criteria used when selecting candidates. Employers look for students with education and experience.

  3. Develop Skills and Apply Knowledge

    Apply theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to actual on-the-job experiences. Develop skills specific to your chosen industry and confidence in the skills you already possess.

  4. Acquire Job Search Skills

    Create a professional resume, sharpen your interviewing skills, and practice interacting professionally. These skills are essential for finding a job or for applying to graduate school.

  5. Build Networking Contacts

    An internship is a great opportunity to build a network of contacts in your chosen career field. In addition, over half of all interns are hired by the organization where they interned!

Internship Timeline

Typically, college students complete their internships during their junior or senior year, but few realize that they have to plan ahead. It is recommended that you begin the internship search process at least six months before you plan to intern.

Some industries have application deadlines many months prior to the intended start date. The earlier you start your search, the more opportunities you will have available to you.

First Year

 

  • Visit the Career Design Center located in Erwin Hall 116
  • Meet with a Career Advisor and possibly take a career assessment to select your major or career path
  • Explore SUNY Geneseo's academic programs
  • Join a club or participate in campus activities
  • Create a resume and cover letter
Sophomore

 

  • Meet with a Career Advisor to clarify your major and career options
  • Declare a major by the end of the academic year
  • Schedule an informational interview, internship, or job shadow a professional working in a field that interests you
  • Sign-on to Handshake, SUNY Geneseo's job board, and complete your profile
  • Search for opportunities that are interesting to you
  • Possibly complete an internship
Junior

 

  • Determine the field, industry, and geographic region where you would consider training
  • Inform everyone in your personal network, including family, friends, advisors, mentors, and faculty members that you are seeking career related experience
  • Refine your cover letter and resume
  • Practice your job interviewing skills with Big Interview
  • Attend networking events where you will meet potential organizations offering internships
  • Arrange for an informational interview within a career industry of interest to you to learn more about the field, get an inside look at an organization you may want to work for, and identify potential contacts and opportunities within that industry.
  • Build your professional wardrobe and complete an internship
Senior

 

  • Begin your internship/ job search early
    • Develop a prospective employer list and distribute your cover letter and resume
  • Refine your interviewing skills
  • Keep your Handshake profile up-to-date
  • Possibly complete another internship

Frequently Asked Questions for Students

 

What is an internship?

Internships take place in a structured professional setting and are short-term supervised learning experiences. Internships have a specified start/end date and must be monitored by a field professional. By definition, internships are credit-bearing and administered by SUNY Geneseo.

The difference between an internship vs. a part-time job
INTERNSHIP
PART-TIME JOB
  • Completed for possible options: credit/no credit; credit and pay; pay/no pay
  • Completed for monetary purposes
  • Learning objectives reflect the goals of the student, the outcomes expected by the employer, and the requirements of the Faculty Internship Supervisor (if for credit)
  • Learn tasks of job in order to complete the work adequately but not necessarily for personal gain
  • Projects or ongoing work that is purposeful and of a professional nature

  • Assigned work that needs to be completed, not necessarily professional in nature
  • Duration/Hours: typically part-time (10- 20 hours/week) in a semester or a summer (2-3 months); occasionally extended into next semester or year
  • Duration/Hours: no specific start/end date or designated time frame
  • Supervisor serves as a mentor figure to aid the student in the learning process
  • Supervisor serves as an authority figure to whom the employee reports
  • Allows for learning of transferable skills that you do not yet possess
  • Serves to fill a basic position within the place of employment
  • The opportunity to obtain “real world” experience in your field of interest and learn first-hand about companies, careers.
  

An unpaid internship in a for-profit company is considered legitimate by the U.S. Department of Labor if it meets all of six criteria. Learn more about The Test for Unpaid Interns and Students visit the U.S. Department of Labor's Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act fact sheet.

Must you do an internship for credit?

No, but we strongly recommend engaging in an internship for credit. All departmental and INTD internships will appear on your transcript. Also, registering for credit creates a formal agreement between your internship employer and SUNY Geneseo, which ensures a quality standard of experiential learning. Without credit, you are either an employee or a volunteer and have minimal leverage regarding the value of the experience encountered.

How do I arrange for an internship to be for credit?

Students have the option of receiving departmental credit (XXXX 395) or interdepartmental credit (INTD-395). After securing an internship, the student should check with their department chair to confirm if the department will support the internship BEFORE attempting to register for an internship.

If the department has agreed to support the internship as a 395 course, the student should select "department" as the source of credit (otherwise, choose INTD-395). Before filling out the job description and learning objectives on the form, discuss each with your academic and field supervisors. For more instructions on filling out the credit application, please view the Registering for Credit: Internship Guide.

When is my internship agreement submission deadline?

Students are not responsible for the time restraints posed by the internship approval process. Your initial internship agreement submission in GradLeaders should be completed before the end of the third week in the Fall and Spring semester and before the end of June in the Summer and intersession.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Internship course registration is dependent on the coordination of no less than three to four people in different departments and organizations. The internship approval process can take weeks to complete. Do not expect a fast turn-around to see your internship registration in DegreeWorks.

Can I receive credit for an internship I have already completed? 

No.  Internship credit must be arranged no later than three weeks into the Spring and Fall semesters and before the end of June for the Summer semester. Retroactive credit is against College and SUNY policy. You will be charged for tuition just as you would for any other class. For example, credits for a summer internship cannot be registered on a student's fall schedule or credits reduced after the formal withdrawal date to avoid paying tuition.  Additionally, after the third week into the semester, you may withdraw from the internship course, but will remain financially responsible for the unearned credits. These policies are strictly enforced.

Can I complete a summer internship for credit?

Yes. However, you will need to register before the end of June. You will be charged for tuition just as you would for any other class.  (See question, "Q.  Can I receive credit for an internship I have already completed?" for additional information).

Can I be paid for an internship?

Yes, you can both be paid AND receive credit for an internship.

Must I do an internship locally?

No. Internship opportunities are worldwide. For international internships, you should check with the Study Abroad Office.

Will I need a resume to apply for internships?

Not in every case, but resumes and cover letters are required far more often than they are not. Please visit the Career Design Centers resume page for help with resume writing. We have well-trained career peer mentors available for resume drafting and review when classes are in session. Check out our home page for drop-in hours.

When should I look for an internship?

Internships are useful when you are looking to explore career options, or want to confirm your current career interests. When you are successfully managing both the academic and social aspects of undergraduate life, you should consider doing an internship. You should apply and arrange for your internship a semester in advance. Remember that an internship is work and may take up a large portion of your schedule. Search for internships on our internship page or drop-in to one of our Quick Chats drop-in hours (Monday - Friday, 12 - 2 PM) to discuss internship opportunities with a Career Coach.

Should I apply only for advertised internships?

No! Often the best internship opportunities are those you create yourself. Talk with professors, classmates, friends, relatives, career coaches, and alumni for internship ideas. If there is an organization for which you would like to intern, contact them proactively with your resume and cover letter, rather than waiting to see an advertisement.