Looking for Internships?

Many college students sweat at the idea of internships. When I thought about internships, I would get nervous, and fear made me feel like they were unreachable to attain.

Throughout my four years of undergraduate studies, I have experienced various internship opportunities. This blog is going to break those down for you and give you advice on how you can land one. Also, I will share with you some of my friend’s experiences finding internships, which may or may not have been so successful.

My Internships:

1. Summer of Freshman year: Internship at a Credit Union in the member services department

2. December of Sophomore year: Internship at same Credit Union, this time the Marketing department

3. Summer of Junior year and fall semester of Senior year: Political Consulting Internship with Political Firm

How would I score these internships you might ask?

Well, the Credit Union internship came about from my aunt, who works at a Credit Union in my hometown in California. They were looking for college interns and asked the employees if they had any family members that were searching for a job.

After making great connections within the company over the summer, I came back for my holiday break in December and took a position in their Marketing department. This goes to show that these opportunities can come to you in unexpected ways.

I am a Political Science minor and looking towards my future career, I picture myself doing something related to politics. I did not know how to find an internship, nor knew anyone who could connect me. I reached out to the Chair of the Political Science department via email to ask if they knew of any opportunities. I found this person’s email online. It was a bold move, and I took my shot.

A few days later, I scheduled a Zoom call with this person, and they gave me a list of places I could apply to with contact information. I recommend reaching out to your major’s department and see if they are able to suggest any Internship opportunities.

Loyola also has a Career Development Center that has been helpful for me. I got connected with a Career Advisor when I attended a career fair on campus my Freshman year. From there, I have kept in contact with this person and have trusted them for career advice. They have looked over my resume, conducted a mock interview with me, and showed me ways to find jobs. You can schedule an appointment or walk into their Sullivan Center office to get connected.

Many of my friends have found their Internships through a website called Handshake, which each Loyola student has access to. There, you can make your own profile and search job postings.

Don’t get an internship you applied to? We have all been there. I and many of my friends have certainly applied to many that we were not accepted into. Don’t let the ‘no’ discourage your search. As I have learned from many people, it is important not to put all your eggs in one basket. You want to spread out your search applying to many, so then you have more options and can decide for yourself which route is best for you.

Have further questions about Internships that you didn’t find the answer to reading this? I would recommend connecting with the Career Development Center located on the second floor of Sullivan once you are an admitted student. They will best be equipped to answer those questions for you.