HELPFUL TIPS TOWARD OBTAINING AN INTERNSHIP
• START EARLY! Companies often advertise their summer internships in fall and winter.
• PREPARE! Make sure your résumé highlights your skills and accomplishments.
• PRACTICE! Attend workshops at the Career and Alumni Network to improve your interviewing skills.
• NETWORK! Talk to alumni, friends, parents, teachers, relatives, and anyone you know who has information about a career or industry that interests you.
• BE CREATIVE! Consider volunteering or helping with a specific project at a company of interest, read the news and listen to podcasts to find out what companies are doing, and contact them to discuss this.
• INTERNET FOOTPRINT! Clean up your Web presence to make sure that you have a professional appearance.
IMPORTANT QUALITIES THAT EMPLOYERS CONSIDER WHEN HIRING AN INTERN
• Interview performance
• Relevant experience
• Strong résumé/cover letter
• Academic performance
• References
• Attendance at preferred schools
WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?
A structured and supervised educational experience that takes place within a professional environment and provides an intentional learning opportunity and academic credit. An internship is guaranteed for all Valparaiso University business students.
An internship integrates the strengths of a business education with the opportunity to work in an actual business setting. It provides you with a practical and professional introduction to a career in business.
Employers’ most valued competencies for interns are communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
• Junior standing or earned at least 56 credit hours
• Participation during the academic year or summer
• Signed job description from the employer
• Pre-approval by Valpo internship coordinator
• 100 hours minimum of work experience per internship
• Completion of reflective writing that is reviewed by internship coordinator
• Self-evaluation form completed and submitted by student at the end of the experience
• Employer evaluation form submitted after the completion of internship
100%
OF VALPO BUSINESS STUDENTS
PARTICIPATE IN AT LEAST ONE GUARANTEED
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
INTERNSHIPS ARE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO:
• Apply your academic knowledge and technical skills to real-world business opportunities and challenges.
• Enhance your softer skills by interacting professionally in formal and informal business settings.
• Test your interest in a career before making it permanent.
• Boost your résumé with the new skills and knowledge you obtain.
• Increase your marketability, as students with internships generally receive more job offers prior to graduation and earn higher salaries.
• Expand your professional network of business contacts.
• Gain course credit satisfying a graduation requirement.
of interns who accept full-time employment are retained after their first year on the job of non-intern employees are retained after their first year on the job
“My internship at DHL Supply Chain allowed me to develop the skills to understand and succeed in the corporate setting. I was able to learn how to work with my peers and manager, how to communicate with people on other teams, and how to best showcase the skills I learned in my classes. This experience led to the opportunity to accept a full-time position as a sales enablement analyst at DHL Supply Chain!”
