Are you looking to gain experience within a field you’ve never worked in? Your solution may be to get an internship! Internships are temporary jobs that are geared towards supplementing your education with in-the-field experience. Internships often include mentorships and other learning opportunities while on the job. They’re a great way to get that first taste of what your field is like in practice rather than just in the classroom. Sometimes you may even get paid for this awesome learning experience!

The Career Center has plenty of resources dedicated to helping you find and score the perfect internship. You can schedule an appointment with an internship coordinator for your major to discuss the internship search, and the steps to landing that internship.

The first step is to update your resume. Important sections to include are a skills section, academic coursework you’ve completed, and any work experience or internships you’ve had in the past. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of experience in your field of choice, that’s the point of an internship! Come into the Career Center to get your resume reviewed and approved for UMBCWorks. Our drop-in hours are Monday through Thursday from 2 pm to 4 pm and on Fridays from 12 pm to 4 pm. You can also always schedule an appointment with a Career Specialist to go over your resume in more detail.

The second step is to go into the Career Center to discuss internships, how to look for one, and the different kinds of internships within your field of choice that may be available to you. The internship coordinator you speak with will be determined by your major, so you’ll get specialized and specific help within your interests. You can schedule an appointment through UMBCWorks, or by calling (410)-455-2216.

Finally, begin your internship search using UMBCWorks! UMBCWorks has a job board with plenty of internship opportunities available for all majors. Your resume must be approved in order to apply through UMBCWorks, so don’t skip step one! Your resume will automatically be approved once you go in to have your resume reviewed, so come by for drop-ins any day of the week.

Coming up in the spring semester, the Career Center is hosting the Spring Internship and Career Fair on February 7th. The Career Fair will have lots of employers coming to campus to network with students and potentially hire them for internships or full-time job positions. If you’re looking for an internship, the Spring Internship and Career Fair is a great place to start! Be sure to bring copies of your resume to hand out to potential employers and come dressed to impress.

Internships are super helpful in getting those important first experiences within your field of study. Just because they’re not full-time jobs, don’t overlook them! They’re a great learning experience and networking opportunity and can lead to a full-time job offer.