For Students

What is an internship?

Internships help you gain exposure to a particular field, type of work, or set of skills. They give you real world experience and capture the eye of future employers. In addition to internships, experiences like research experiences for undergraduates (REUs), job shadowing a professional, volunteering, and informational interviews all help students gain exposure and connections in a area of interest. 

Read about other students' experiences, or look at a map of where Earlham students have interned recently.

Why do an internship?

Creating opportunities to do work in your area(s) of interest while you are in college has several benefits.  Internships provide you with the opportunity to:

  • better understand a workplace, the culture, expectations and experience needed for a particular job
  • get your foot in the door with a particular organization or field
  • develop skills you may not realize you have
  • make meaning of and build on what you are learning in the classroom
  • gain insight as you explore the big questions of life
  • be confident about your abilities and your future direction 
 

Make the most out of your internship and make sure to have your internship show up on your transcript. Whether you do an internship for credit or not for credit, you should have your experience noted on your transcript. To do so, fill out the Petition for Internship form through the Registrar's Office.

When should I do an internship?

Many Earlham students do one or more internships or research opportunities during their college careers. It is best to work to get in two internships during your time at Earlham. 

Some schools have a junior-year internship requirement. At Earlham you can do an internship at any time in your academic career, or even at several points. It is never too soon to start thinking about an internship. After your first semester freshman year, update your resume and start preparing to gain experience—it takes planning. Likewise, don’t worry that it’s too late—an internship can also be an option for recent graduates.  

You may need to gain more experience before being qualified for that special internship you want. Consider volunteering, job shadowing, and talking with Earlham alumni in your field of interest.  They are all ways to gain experience and knowledge of an area in which you would like to work, intern, or explore.  

Before you start applying, polish your resume, search out internship possibilities, get help with writing your cover letters, find out when the deadlines are for the internships of interest to you, and try a mock interview. Work with us in the Bonner Center for Service and Vocation to create a plan.