Internships

 

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Experience is the #1 thing that employers seek in qualified candidates. “Experiential education” (internships, significant volunteer experience, etc.) provides a glimpse into the world of work, allowing you to apply what you have learned in class and enabling you to build relationships with current professionals in a field of interest. Winthrop University and the University Career Center provide several avenues for you to pursue experiential education opportunities. Depending upon your major and the industry you are intersted in working in you may select to pursue internships, cooperative education, practicum experiences, clinicals or student teaching. 

In today’s competitive job market, an internship is just one more step in creating a well-rounded portfolio of experiences that will give you a competitive edge in the job market. Internships or other relevant work experience have the following benefits: 

• Gaining new skills and professional contacts in the world of work
• Exploring career interests without making a long-term commitment to a position or field
• Clarifying your interests, skills, and career goals
• Establishing a relationship with your supervisor who may serve as an important professional reference when you begin a job search or who may be inclined to hire you at that company after a successful internship experience. 
• Applying classroom knowledge to the workplace which may, in turn, shape your course of study.

Additionally, many majors on campus allow you to earn academic credit for internships as long as you meet with the appropriate Internship Faculty Liaison and receive approval for your internship experience in advance. This typically includes enrolling in an academic course to earn credit (course varies by department), completing an Internship Agreement Form (paperwork varies by department) and other assignments such as keeping a work hours log and evaluations along the way.

If you have specific questions about internships in your area of interest, contact one of our CDI staff for assistance. We can help you locate internships to apply for, prepare internship résumés and cover letters, make suggestions for references, and point you in the right direction if you want to receive academic credit for your experience.

To start your internship search, utilize Winthrop's online jobsite, EAGLElink. As a Winthrop student, you automatically have an account, but if you need help logging in or forgot your password — check out our EAGLElink Guide (pdf — 367 kb) for assistance.

 

About Our Internship Program

 

Eligibility

Students participating in the CDI Internship Program must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be enrolled at least as a part-time student in a degree program while active in our internship program
• Have earned 24 credit hours, including at least 12 hours at Winthrop
• Maintain at least a 2.5 GPA while active in the program (unless permission is received from faculty liaison)
• Receive approval from their faculty liaison to participate in the program (signature is required on Internship Agreement Form)
• Internship must be completed during semester of enrollment (no retroactive credit or counting hours prior to Internship Agreement Form approval)

 

Benefits

Our Internship Program will allow you to:

• Build a job search network while gaining real world work experience
• Develop job search skills which is an important head start on graduation
• Explore choice of major and career options within a major
• Earn academic credit toward graduation
• Earn a wage in some cases - although this is never guaranteed!

 

The Process

To learn more about completing a CDI Internship, schedule a meeting with Tiffany Alexander, Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internships, in the CDI office by calling 803/323-2141. During this meeting, you will have a chance to learn about internship options in your area, receive assistance with searching for an internship, writing/updating your resume and cover letter and anything else you need to find an internship. You will also receive assistance in coordinating your academic credit with your department. CDI works as a liaison between the student, the faculty liaison for each department on campus and the employer to facilitate the internship experience.

 

The Paperwork 

- Internship Learning Agreement (Internship Learning Agreement - pdf - 43kb)

• This form is a required step for your internship. Without completing this form and submitting it for approval to your department faculty liaison and the CDI office — you will not earn credit for your internship.   No agreement - no credit!

Enrollment in appropriate internship course in department for correct semester (CDI can help you connect with the appropriate person to be enrolled for your major)

- Mid-Point Evaluation(s) Student and Employer  

• You will complete an evaluation of your internship experience half way through your required work hours. Your internship supervisor will also complete a performance evaluation at this time. This information will be sent to your faculty liaison as part of your grade for the internship course.

- Final Internship Evaluation from Student & Employer

• Once you have completed your required hours, you will turn in a final evaluation of your internship experience. Your internship supervisor will also submit a final reflection on your performance for our review. This information will be sent to your faculty liaison as part of your grade for the internship course. 

- Reflection Paper (Reflection Paper - pdf - 19kb)

• Once you have completed your required hours, you will write a minimum of three (3) pages as a reflection regarding your internship experience.

- Work Hours Log (Work Hours Log - pdf - 37 kb)

• You will enter your daily work hours on our CDI Work Log to document your required hours for internship credit. Once you have completed your hours, have your internship supervisor sign it for verification purposes prior to sending it to the CDI office. Do not submit your hours on a different form.

- Additional assignments may be required based on your major.

 

The Experience

CDI wants you to have a fantastic internship experience.  We are here to help you every step of the way — so keep us in the loop while you are at your internship. We will check in with you officially at the mid point and end of your internship, but are here for you to answer questions, help sort out work conflicts, assist with difficult conversations, help you find additional work training, etc. Just let us know how we can help your internship experience be even better! We will also be in touch with your supervisor at the beginning, middle and end of your internship experience. So make sure you keep us up to date if contact information changes for you or your direct supervisor.

 

Unpaid Internships: Know the Facts

Many internship opportunities are advertised as "unpaid." The Department of Labor has provided a fact sheet to help clarify whether or not an intern working in the for-profit private sector must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The fact sheet outlines 6 main criteria that must be met in order for an internship to be unpaid: 

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for time spent in the internship.

View the full fact sheet here: Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act (pdf - 35.3KB)

 

Center for Career Development and Internships offers EAGLElink and the Opportunity List as a resource for employers and community partners to connect with WU students and alumni seeking volunteer experience, internships, part-time jobs, and full-time positions. Please note that the presence of job announcements on any website or listserve maintained by Center for Career Development and Internships does not indicate an endorsement or recommendation by Winthrop University or CDI. We are not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions or other aspects of off-campus employment.  We can't do a background check of every single posting - so make sure you spend time researching before you apply.

Scammers create positions that look legitimate; be smart and never make arrangements with an employer that involves you depositing/cashing checks or putting up your own money. If an employer EVER asks you to deposit money, send a check or buy something for them - this is a major red flag. Should an issue arise that you feel the CDI staff should be aware of, please contact us at 803/323-2141 or careerdev@winthrop.edu Check out our Guide to Employer Research and Scams (pdf - 391 kb) to learn more.

 

The CDI offers internship search and preparation assistance as well as academic credit facilitation for many majors on Winthrop's campus. If interested, make an appointment with us today for an internship consultation!