To gain experience! Internships offer opportunities to make your education "real" by providing practical work experience in your major field of study or career interest area.

Internships allow you to:

• Explore possibilities of future careers
• Gain valuable skills and career-related experience
• Apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations
• Establish professional contacts and begin networking
• Possibly earn money, academic credit, or a future job offer
• And more!

Anytime! Students complete internships during the fall/spring semesters, over May Term, and over the summer. During the academic year, interns will typically work 12-15 hours a week. Over May Term or the summer, interns can work full-time.

You can intern whenever you are ready - this could be the spring semester of your first-year or the summer after you graduate!

Anywhere! Many organizations in Bloomington-Normal offer convenient local internships to your students during the academic year. Over May Term or the summer, students can intern in their hometowns, in other cities/states, or even go abroad! After the COVID-19 pandemic, remote internship opportunities have increased exponentially and many IWU students have had success with remote internships.

Remote internships provide the chance to gain career relevant experience with an organization where on-site work is limited or not required.  

Finding and securing a remote experience mirrors the normal job search process in many ways:

• Keep your resume updated.
• Create and complete profiles on the sites to which you are applying - (e.g. Handshake, LinkedIn, Parker Dewey). *LinkedIn has a filter for remote internships available!
• Look at the experiences you are applying to and evaluate the benefits.
• Be prepared for virtual interviewing to secure the position.

Think you might be interested in a remote internship?  Read this article for a little more information.

Sometimes! It is common for internships to be paid or unpaid, which is something the organization determines. The experience earned from internships is always valuable whether it is paid or unpaid!

Illinois Wesleyan's Hart Career Center is a part of the Illinois Cooperative Work Study Grant program through the Illinois Board of Higher education. Through this grant, there is funding support for internships at select organizations in the Bloomington-Normal area. Please contact Patrick Zajac, Assistant Director for Career Engagement/Internship Coordinator, at pzajac@iwu.edu, for the list of internship sites that are a part of the grant. 

Perhaps! Each academic department makes this determination on a case-by-case basis. Students must work with a faculty supervisor to complete the required Learning Contract at the top of this page. Make sure to complete the additional forms if you'd like to add a Global Diversity flag.

To receive credit during May Term or the summer academic term, please note that you will have to pay the May Term and summer tuition fee. You may apply for a fee waiver for up to 0.5 credit if your internship qualifies under specific guidelines. Please see information here for guidelines on the partial tuition waiver for credit during the summer.  

Forms must be turned in to the Career Center BEFORE the semester deadline to add/drop a course. The Career Center then notifies the Registrar to enroll you in the appropriate internship course. Submit your forms to pzajac@iwu.edu or drop them off in our office, we are open Mon. - Fri., 8am - 12pm & 1 - 4:30pm.

Start with yourself! Before you start searching for an internship, you should set some goals for yourself and evaluate what you want and need from an internship. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my career interests? What kind of work do I want to do?
• What kind of organization or industry intrigues me?
• What personal traits, skills, or knowledge would I like to develop?
• When can I fit an internship experience in to my schedule?
• Where am I willing or able to intern?
• What are my income needs and transportation options?

Once you have done some goal setting, you are ready to begin the search process.

Now! It's never too early to start searching for possibilities! The Career Center receives internship listings continuously and most organizations accept applications on a rolling basis. Begin searching at least a semester before you'd like to intern. National deadlines for summer internships are quite early. Getting a head-start will provide you with more options.

Start here! A great place to start is at the IWU Hart Career Center. We share many internship opportunities with IWU students through our career services platform, Handshake. You can also attend a Career Fair to find companies looking for interns. Check out our Online Resources for other websites to search for an internship!

 Internship applications vary per the organization, but it is best practice to do the following:

1. Resume: this is a strictly one page document highlighting your unique experiences; this can include education, honors, awards, coursework, research, publications, jobs, community service/volunteer work, activities/leadership experience, skills, certifications, languages, and more. Get help starting or updating your resume by making an appointment or emailing it to ccenter@iwu.edu as a Word document or Google doc.
2. Cover letter: (also called letter of application, introduction, or interest) formatted as a one-page business letter, it must be uniquely written for each organization and position you apply for in order to cater to each individual organization and position. Get help with writing your cover letter by making an appointment or emailing it to ccenter@iwu.edu with information about the internship you are applying for.
3. Prepare for an interview: (see info below)
4. Follow-up: if it has been over a week since you applied or since the application deadline has passed, it is fine to politely follow-up with an email or phone call inquiring about the status of your application.

1. Research: be familiar with the organization and the position you applied for. Prepare specific questions to ask the interviewer at the interview - this demonstrates your interest and shows you are proactive!
2. Practice! Sign up for a practice interview (or make an appointment with a career advisor) to practice your interview skills answering typical interview questions.
3. Present yourself professionally: dress in appropriate attire & be punctual.
4. Follow-up: be sure to thank those who interviewed you that evening or the next morning after an interview by sending an email or giving them a phone call.

1. Tell us about it! Fill out the internship report form (above).
2. Get academic credit for your internship! Work with a faculty supervisor to fill out the academic credit forms (above).
3. Clarify expectations with your employer. Confirm your start date, hours, job responsibilities, salary, attire, supervisor, etc. It's a great idea to put your agreement in writing.
4. Withdraw your outstanding applications with other organizations. If you interviewed for any other opportunities, reach out to inform them that you are no longer available for the position. If you applied to other internships that you haven't yet heard back from, make sure that if they do end up reaching out for an interview, reply that you no longer wish to be considered.
5. Make the most of your internship experience. Take initiative, observe and learn, be professional, find a mentor, communicate respectfully, be a team player, and have fun!

Ask a career advisor! You can make an appointment with a career advisor in the Hart Career Center to get direct assistance with all aspects of internships:

• Internship Search - receive help finding an internship that matches your career goals!
• Internship Application - get your resume/cover letter reviewed before applying!
• Internship Interview - practice your interview skills and receive feedback!
• Internship Questions - answer any other internship-related questions you have!

Make an appointment on Handshake, contact the Hart Career Center at ccenter@iwu.edu, call us at (309) 556-3071, or visit our office (M-F, 8am-4:30pm) on the second floor of the Welcome Center.