Career Services - Gaining Experience

One of the most valuable things that you can do during your college career is to get involved and participate in volunteer and internship opportunities.  Research shows that almost three-quarters of employers say that they prefer to hire students who have relevant work experience. So, experience gets employers' attention.

An internship is a career-related work experience that involves the application of academic learning in an employment situation.  Internships are an effective way for students to expand their professional network and get a foot in the door at a company/organization where they would like to work after graduation.  Internships also offer an opportunity for students to learn more about a particular career while gaining valuable work experience and developing transferable skills.

Internship Search Checklist

Getting Involved
Opportunities to gain experience and learn more about career paths
Exploring Your Major
Informational Interview
Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement
College Internship Program
MSU Student Organizations
Study Abroad Program
Study Away Program

Internship Search Preparation/Strategies
Preparing for an internship search
Resumes and Cover Letters
Networking
Research Companies
Interviewing

Internship Search Links
On-line resources for locating jobs/internships
Major Specific Search Engines
MySpartanCareer.com
USAJobs
Idealist
America's Job Bank
Michigan.gov
Career Builder