Internship Guide Untitled Document LMU CDS
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Internships

Internship Guide

Internships are an educational experience where students learn to take on meaningful responsibilities in a professional “real world” environment. This includes opportunities to actively reflect on and think about professional issues.

Benefits of Doing An Internship

  • Apply classroom knowledge to practical work situations
  • Develop new skills
  • Gain awareness of Corporate/Organization Culture
  • Build your resume
  • Explore various career options
  • Establish valuable contacts that might lead to employment
  • Secure full-time employment upon graduation   
  • Gain a new perspective on existing skills

Internship Elegibilty

All students at Loyola Marymount University are encouraged to make internships an integral component of their experience.  Internships may be completed within all colleges and schools and are offered for all areas of concentration.  They are available at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The best time to start looking for an Internship is now!
    

Finding the Right Placement

Learn about Yourself

  • Make an appointment with a Career Counselor to discover your interests
  • Take one of three self-assessment tests offered through Career Development Services (CDS)

Learn about Internship Opportunities

  • Make an appointment with an Internship Specialist to explore your internship interests
  • Log onto Lionjobs through the CDS website (www.lmu.edu/careers) then click on “Lionjobs student/alumni login.” This is a job and internship database that is exclusively available for LMU students and alumni
  • Stop by CDS to find additional listings in our Internal Database
  • Attend a workshop and visit the internship tables to learn more about the process, the opportunities and the resources available to you
  • Attend Career Connections Job and Internship Fair

Applying For An Internship

  • Prepare a resume and cover letter
  • Visit CDS for drop-ins or schedule an appointment with a career counselor to review your resume
  • Submit your cover letter and resume on Lionjobs
  • Schedule a mock interview with a career counselor at CDS
  • Apply for the internship through Lionjobs

Selecting the Internship That is Right For You

There are some choices when it comes to selecting the type of internship you wish to do. You can take internships for credit or no-credit. Some internships offer pay in addition to experience while others do not.

Course Credit: In order to receive academic credit for completion of an internship a student must either be enrolled in a course that requires an internship component or be enrolled in an independent study internship course.

 

 or 


Personal Study: Non-academic credit bearing internships may be secured through identifying the internship for personal and professional growth.

 
 

Paid: Come in many varieties. Can be compensated through salary, gifts, sponsorship to professional trainings and conferences, etc. 

 
or

 

Unpaid: Will not be monetarily compensated but the experience will still provide a valuable learning environment where you can hone your academic knowledge and gain transferable skills. 

Documenting Your Internship

The intern has the opportunity to document the internship experience with CDS.  Documentation establishes a clear record of the student’s accomplishments during the internship and may be used upon graduation to verify past experience during the job search process. All documentation is kept on-file for 7 years.

The completion of the documentation process is the student’s responsibility. All of the necessary documentation is available at CDS and on our website at www.lmu.edu/careers/internships. Students should be aware of deadlines when returning completed paperwork.

  • An Internship Agreement: Defines the work you will be doing at the internship by establishing 1 or 2 learning objectives and by clearly identifying the minimum number of hours the intern will complete at the site. The documentation should be discussed with and signed off by your faculty member (if taken for academic credit), the internship site supervisor, you the intern and the Director of Internships.
  • The Supervisor Evaluation of the Intern: This is a vehicle by which interns receive feedback on their internship experience.  The supervisor is encouraged to discuss the evaluation with the intern and to particularly cover areas of strength as well as needs for professional development.
  • The Intern’s Evaluation of the Internship Site: Information from these evaluations may be evaluated for continued utilization and is used during the site search process.  This tool has proven useful to students who are trying to determine if a good fit exists between the Internship Site and their own interests and skills.

Making the Most of Your Internship Experience

An internship is an opportunity for a student to relate classroom theory to practical, professional experience.  Additionally, the intern can integrate the hands-on experience back into future academic work and research. Students are encouraged to engage in reflective analysis of their internship experiences and to think critically about the learning that has taken place.

In the case of academic credit internships, some of the following may be required:

  • Maintain a personal journal
  • Write a reflective essay
  • Research professional trends within their chosen field
  • Conduct informational interviews with experienced professionals
  • Share their internship experiences with other students informally and in panels and programs
  • Evaluate their learning objectives with their faculty members