It is strongly recommended that students pursue an internship, as they provide valuable work experience, enhance your resume and further your job prospects. In some cases, they can even earn you academic credit. Even though each major encourages them for a number of reasons, they are not a graduation requirement.
An internship:
- Provides you with the opportunity to determine if your major is right for you.
- Allows you to apply your classroom experiences to practical scenarios.
- Can lead to an offer from a firm for an entry-level position after graduation.
- Gives you practical experience when interviewing for entry-level positions.
- Can build your confidence.
- For credit can act as an elective course to fulfill requirements for your major.
Note: Business Management, Economics and Marketing are the only CoB departments that award academic credit for undergraduate internship experiences. The School of Accounting offers academic credit for internships for students in the M.S. in Accounting program. Contact Dr. Jim Irving for more information: irvingjh@jmu.edu.
How to Find an Internship
You have several avenues for finding an internship, including the following:
- Listings on Handshake
- Attend appropriate career fairs for your major:
- General - University Career Center Job and Internship Fairs
- CIS - CISE
- Polish your LinkedIn profile and request to join the CoB Career Mentor Network LinkedIn Group.
- Get involved in major specific student organizations; they often have career related activities.
- Apply for a spot on a Career Trek with the Office of Professional Development and Engagement.
- Visit company websites, LinkedIn and Indeed.com to find internship postings.