Internships

This What Is An Internship?

The term, internship, can refer to a variety of temporary work experiences. They may take place in a for-profit or nonprofit setting and may be structured in part-time or full-time hours. You may also hear the terms service learning, field experience, volunteer work, and work experiences. The interpretation of these terms is dependent upon the specific work experience, the employer, and Northwest. No matter what you call them, these opportunities provide you with many benefits. An internship can be an opportunity to "test drive" a career path, add experience to a resume, or just explore career options.

Internship Search
Internship Listings
Searching Hire A Bearcat for Jobs/Internships
Internship Search Assistance
Online Internship Resources
Internship Resources
What about credit?
Noteworthy Internships
Academic Credit Agreement Form
Northwest Student Internship Photos

Internship Search

In order to begin the internship process, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

Is an internship required for my degree?
What trimester do I want to do my internship?
Can I afford to participate in an unpaid opportunity?
Where do I want to do my internship, geographically?

The next step in the internship process is to identify possible intern sites or employers that interest you.

Stop by Career Services at Room 130, Administration Building, for assistance and information about internship searches. We have a great resource library!
Make an appointment with the Coordinator of Internships in Career Services to discuss your specific internship search.
Meet with your advisor to determine your degree requirements and procedures-especially if you are pursuing an internship as a course requirement or an elective.
Search the Career Services internship database via our web site. (See links below)
Network with family, friends, and faculty for possible opportunities and ideas.
Check out Northwest Career Days and other area job fairs. Events
Create a draft of your resume. Resume Samples
Bring your resume to Career Services and make an appointment with a staff member to review your resume.
Check internship application deadlines to determine when to mail your resume and cover letter.
Submit your resume to your top interest choices.
Follow up with a phone call or personal contact to ensure the employer has received your resume.

Internship Listings

Employers throughout the Midwest and the nation send notice of their internship to Career Services. This information is posted in Hire A Bearcat which is accessible to you via this web site. Information can be sorted by state, country, and job target.

We recommend that you complete the online registration process in Hire A Bearcat in order to take full advantage of that information and our services. Once you have completed this process, you will have full access to all the benefits of Hire A Bearcat, you may sign up for on campus interviews, and be included in resume referrals.

As a part of the registration process, you will upload your resume to the system and sign and return a signature release form to our office.

Hire A Bearcat

Searching Hire A Bearcat for Jobs/Internships

The Hire A Bearcat User Guide provides information on how to search.

Look for the near the top of each page for information and assistance. Try a Video Tutorial located on many pages for detailed instructions and extra tips. Contact Career Services with your questions.

Internship Search Assistance

Come by and take a look at the many resources in our office library about internships. Make an appointment with our Internship Coordinator for direction on how to get started and where to look for a successful internship search or come by during our Walk in Hours.

Online Internship Resources

Check out our new Internships.com!

What About Academic Credit?

This type of internship includes an academic component along with the
work experience.

Generally speaking, an academic credit internship means that:

Northwest is a partner in your internship experience and a faculty member will be supervising your experience.
You enroll in a course at Northwest representing this kind of experience.
You pay tuition for those academic hours.
You may have periodic assignments to reinforce your internship learning.
The employer is asked to sign a simple learning agreement with you.
The employer will return an evaluation of your work to the faculty.
You generally complete the course with a term paper, project or presentation according to your faculty supervisor's specifications.
Requirements vary by Northwest academic advisor. Discuss details with
your advisor.

Noteworthy Internship Programs (Open to All Majors)

Missouri Legislative Internship

Consider the Legislative Internship at the Missouri State Capitol! This internship begins in early January and ends in mid-May each year. Open to all majors, each intern is paired with a state representative's or state senator's office where they may analyze, follow and craft legislation, write press releases and track press coverage, assist constituents with problems, attend hearings and work sessions, and have fun meeting and socializing with interns from other colleges and universities from around the state of Missouri.

This internship provides outstanding networking connections and could be a springboard to many career avenues including public relations, law, communications, politics, state government, as well as many others.

You retain full time student status while in Jefferson City by applying for 11 hours of Political Science and 1 hour of Missouri Politics. Tuition costs are deducted from a $3000. stipend. The remainder is available for your living expenses while in Jefferson City.

Once a Legislative Intern returns to the Northwest campus, one student generally acts as a student legislative aid between Northwest and Jefferson City. Working with the Office of Student Affairs, their activities may include planning "Lobby Day", an event that brings Northwest students to the state capitol to discuss the issues directly with our legislators. Additionally, the experienced Aid assists with the recruitment and interview process for the following year's Legislative Interns.

For more information, please click on the logo above. Click here to apply.

The Washington Center

Another exceptional internship program is The Washington Center (TWC). Northwest has been associated with this organization for over 30 years. This educational nonprofit organization is the largest provider of challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington D.C. for academic credit. This program is best suited to juniors, seniors and graduate students, but it takes planning, so freshmen and sophomores should start investigating it now.

Open to all majors, the experience consists of 3 parts: 1) an 4 to 4 ½ day professional work experience tailored to your interests, with the assistance of The Washington Center 2) An academic course, with highly qualified faculty, and 3) The Leadership Forum, a set of activities designed to give you opportunities to understand leadership and to contribute to your communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Placements may be in governmental, for-profit, nonprofit or international organizations. Students hear and interact with distinguished speakers -- including cabinet members, ambassadors, journalists, members of Congress, among others. If you are looking for a "big" experience without leaving the USA, consider The Washington Center!

Northwest faculty member, Dr Rich Fulton, is the campus liaison for The Washington Center and has served on their Board of Directors in the past. He states that "The Washington Center Internship can be a definite bridge to a career". This internship takes planning, as there are application materials to complete and you will be away from campus for a trimester. There is a fee to consider, but housing in Washington D.C. is included in the amount and Northwest tuition is waived during your Washington Center Trimester. A variety of scholarships are available from The Washington Center. The rewards are great -- check it out. Their web site is www.twc.edu or please feel free to contact our office or Dr. Fulton for more information.

Camp Adventure, Child and Youth Services Internships Abroad

Internships are available for students to provide child and youth services on U.S. military installations in Germany, Italy, England, Belgium, Portugal, Hawaii or Key West for the spring or fall semester. The program provides services primarily to toddlers and infants; some staff may serve in school-age care. Travel and housing are paid in addition to a living stipend of $2600 for 17 weeks. The internship also includes 12 credits (undergraduate or graduate) from the University of Northern Iowa. There are as many as 100 openings per semester.

If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, email Jennifer Kennedy at Jennifer.kennedy@uni.edu or call 319-273-7821. Include your phone number/cell number and address. Please briefly describe your experiences in working with children as well as your educational background. The subject line of your email should say EUROPE INTERNSHIP in caps.

Benefits of participation in Camp Adventure include:

12 hours of graduate or undergraduate credit from the University of Northern Iowa.
An opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution, supporting military families.
Travel expenses and housing are paid in addition to a daily living stipend of $2600 for 17 weeks (prorated for longer or shorter programs).
Professional training in the child development and/or school-age care fields.
Network with the world’s largest employer – the Department of Defense.
Engage in cultural experiences in Europe.
Build your resume!

Student Conservation Association Internships

The Student Conservation Association is the leading provider of conservation internships in the nation and offers opportunities in such areas as History, Biology, GIS, Natural Resources, Youth Leadership, Interpretation and Visitor Services as well as Project and Land Management with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Historic Sites, and the Nature Conservancy to name a few. SCA interns complete over 1 million hours of service annually, receive outstanding career training, work on our nation’s land, and are even eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Educational Award.

Thousands have joined SCA to launch a career in conservation, advance their studies, or to gain hands-on experience. SCA offers opportunities in over 50 disciplines throughout the US. If you want to make a difference, serving with SCA offers many benefits to you and the world. Conservation Internships are 3 -12 month expense-paid opportunities to preserve environmental and cultural resources. Conservation Corps Internships offer 3-10 month expense-paid opportunities to live and work with others on critical conservation projects.

Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students With Disabilities Interviews (Jan. or Feb. each year)

This program from the U.S. Department of Labor provides both internship and full time opportunities for students with disabilities. Placements can be made anywhere in the U.S. and the employers will provide any work site accommodations. Northwest's past participation in this program has produced both internship and full time employment opportunities for our students and graduates. Candidates speak with the recruiter about the areas of the country that are of interest to you.

We are notified in late November of our recruiter visit date. We highly encourage interested students to prepare your resume, brush up on your interviewing skills, and assemble your interview attire. Please contact Career Services, Student Support Services, or the Talent Development Center for more information. Application materials are available from any of these three offices or you may locate the materials on our eCompanion site which is titled, "Need a major, internship, or job?" with you usual Northwest login.

We must have a minimum of 8 students that wish to interview in order for the recruiter to make the trip to our campus. Please consider participating in this opportunity to sharpen your interview skills and market your abilities to potential employers. We believe you will be glad you did!

For more information about the program, visit: http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/brochures/wrp1.html

Northwest Student Internship Photos

This photo contest is open to all students participating in summer internships for academic credit. Join the fun and see the photos online.

Summer 2009 Photos

Summer 2008 Photos

Northwest Missouri State University