What Type of Experience Are You Seeking?
In other words, what career areas do you want to know more about? Are you thinking about the fields of advertising, accounting, or personnel administration? You may need to use the Career Resource Room at Career Services to research several areas before you determine your preference. What skills do you enjoy using and which do you want to develop further (i.e., writing, public speaking, computer programming)? Finally, is there a particular type of organization that interests you (i.e., banking, retail, health care)?

Where Do You Want To Do Your Internship?
Do you want to stay in Santa Barbara or will you also consider opportunities in Sacramento, San Diego, Washington D.C., New York, Europe or Japan? It may be possible to do several internships in the local area with proper planning. Many students who start locally and build their portfolio of skills and experiences are then able to market themselves for paid summer internships outside the Santa Barbara area.

When Do You Want To Do Your Internship?
Carefully plan the quarter or summer in which you want to begin your first internship experience. Will you have sufficient time to devote to a volunteer or internship experience? How much flexibility will you need to handle your commitments in and outside of class? Freshman and Sophomores usually begin with volunteer, part-time jobs, or on-campus experiences to get the flavor of the type of responsibilities and skills they would like to use in their internship later on. It is usually in the Junior and Senior year that students find they have enough general focus and academic background to begin applying for specific internship programs.

How Much Time Can You Spend At Your Internship?
Programs can be part-time for one quarter, full-time for summer, or year round part-time or full-time commitments. Usually the competition for certain government, national or international opportunities is less during the school year versus the summer when the majority of people look. Most students find the longer they stay with one employer the more responsibility and training they will receive.

How Much Money Do You Need?
Many great experiences are volunteer or involve a small stipend or lump sum of money. It is possible, however, to negotiate for salary as you become more productive to your employer or agency. In the meantime, will you be able to juggle a part-time job while volunteering for experience?

Will You Need or Want Academic Credit for Your Experience?
Most students are more interested in the experience, but some want the chance to combine what they're learning in the classroom with the experience. Most departments require students to have upper-class standing before they are eligible to receive academic credit for an internship experience.

How Motivated Are You?
Finding the experience that best meets your needs takes time, energy, careful planning and research. Many employers begin to identify their summer employment needs in early January. Start now.

Need Help with a Cover Letter or Resume?
Attend one of our Job Launch workshops at Career Services for help on resume and cover letter writing. Workshop schedules are available at the beginning of each quarter. Click HERE to download one now.

My internship requires certain forms. Where can i obtain them?
If you are enrolled in the Internship Certificate Program and need Internship Forms for your employer. Click HERE to download them now.