Internships in English at Georgia Southern

Finding an internship

Ultimately, you are expected to do much of the research on your own to find your internship. Researching, applying, and interviewing for an internship are all part of the internship’s learning process. You will be using these skills in the future when looking for and applying for a job. This internship is your first opportunity to work in your future career field, so make the most of it!

Unsure of what specific field you are interested in?

Visit Career Services. This campus office is not just for people seeking jobs. The office has tools that help you understand what your interests are and where your talents lie.

Check out these sites to help you find the career that best fits you:

• O*NET OnLine. This site allows you to pick skills that you have or plan to acquire and then find occupations that match those skills. This site is run by the National O*NET Consortium, organized to develop products for the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA).
• Queendom. This site offers a variety of career tests, including tests on career style and creative problem-solving.
• The Armstrong Professional Communications Alumni page on Facebook has listings for various jobs and internships around Savannah.
• Visitusajobs.gov and other larger job search databases. We’ve had several interns find employment through outside sites, but there are also features on the sites that will help you learn more about your interests. 

Have a specific career field in mind?

• Talk to people whose career interests you. Ask them about the possible need for an intern at their organization.
• Use the Internet to search for local companies involved in your field. Find out as much as you can about a company you may be interested in. Websites might list the names of employees who would know about whether the company hires interns. If it’s a small company, you might talk to the owner or manager. For larger companies, ask to speak to the human resources director. Don’t be afraid to make these cold calls. Employers appreciate the initiative you are showing to gain valuable experience.
• Do not limit your research to local companies. There are many national and international internship opportunities. The federal government offers internship programs, as do national companies such as Disney. For these internships, however, you will want to prepare well in advance, since they usually have early application deadlines.
• Visit Career Services to search their database for internships. Job search websites often include a database of available internships.
•  Nonprofits can be great places to do internships. Nonprofits often have more work than they can handle, so interns get a lot of responsibility and can practice a variety of skills. Also, you get the extra reward of working for a cause you believe in. Contact a nonprofit you are interested in to ask about internships.
•   For journalists, visit the local newspaper office. Small, local newspapers will often give you lots of varied experience, from copy editing to photography to writing headlines and stories.

Setting up an internship

Steps to Set Up the Internship

1. If you haven’t done so already, download and read the documents below.
2. If the company already has an internship program set up, they will have an application and interview process that you will follow. If this is the case, then proceed to step 4.
3. If the company has never had an intern, or has had a few interns but no formal internship program, ask to set up a time to meet with someone in the organization to discuss an internship opportunity.
4. Treat your first meeting with an intern supervisor as you would a job interview.
   • Bring your resume and dress professionally.
   • Research the company and what it does/produces.
   • When discussing internship opportunities, you should be aware of the types of skills you would want to practice and gain during the internship.
   • For a list of these skills, look at the Internship Agreement.
   • Let the company know you want to avoid an experience that limits you to repetitive, un-challenging tasks. You want to build on your skills.
   • Once hired, discuss the internship agreement with your supervisor. Be sure you both understand what tasks you will be completing.
   • Discuss your schedule with the supervisor and how you will be recording your hours. Include this information in the agreement.
   • Fill out the agreement with your supervisor, sign it, and make copies: the original should be turned in to the Internship Program Director, one copy goes to the supervisor, and one copy is for you.
5. Begin the internship!