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Table of Contents
Introduction to Internships and Practica ........................................................................................................... 2 1. What is an internship or Practicum? ............................................................................................................ 2 2. Why should I do an internship or practicum?................................................................................... ............ 2 3. Why should I do an internship or Practicum for Credit? ............................................................................... 2 Practica, Internships for Credit, Internships w/o Credit, and Part Time Jobs ...................................................... 3 Academic Credit Options .................................................................................................................................. 4 Initial Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 4 1. How do I know what kind of internship I should look for? ............................................................................ 4 2. Do you have transportation? ........................................................................................................................ 4 3. What is your GPA? ........................................................................................................................................ 4 4. Are you aware of the types of experimental learning opportunities that are required and /or beneficial for your specific major? ................................................................................................................................. 5 5. Is your resume professional and up to date? ................................................................................................ 5 6. Do you have enough elective credits available to complete an internship? ................................................. 5 Locating Internship Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 6 1. Resources for Finding an Internship ............................................................................................................. 6 After I Have Identified Potential Internship Sites, Then What do I do? .............................................................. 7 1. Keeping track of potential sites and their information ................................................................................. 7 2. Important information regarding the company you are applying for .......................................................... 7 3. Contact Employer (sample phone conversation) .......................................................................................... 7 4. Applying to Internships‐ resume and requested supporting materials ........................................................ 8 5. The Wait... .... ................................................................................................................................................ 8 6. Interviews... ................................................................................................................................................... 8 7. Offers: Your Final Decision ............................................................................................................................ 8 8. Accepting an Internship: Details to Confirm ................................................................................................. 9 9. Show Appreciation by Sending a “Thank You” Note ..................................................................................... 9 How to Register Your Internship for Credit ...................................................................................................... 10 The Final Steps ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Required Clearances (websites listed) ............................................................................................................. 11 1 What iis an In
nternsh
hip or P
Practiccum? W
What is an Inte
ernship
p or Prracticum
m? Internships aand Practica aare experientiial learning op
ptions at Messsiah College that are done for academ
mic credit. Each of these
e opportunitie
es takes place
e within the ccontext of a w
work environm
ment. The exxperience enaables students to e
explore poten
ntial career op
pportunities aand enrich th eir classroom
m experience. All internships that are complete
ed through th
he Career & Professional D
Development Center autom
matically fulfill a student’s Experiential LLearning (ELI)) requirementt (*this only aapplies to stuudents who m
matriculated to Messiah beeginning in the fall of 2015). W
W hy Shoould I ddo an Internshiip or Prracticum
m?
Persona
al Profeessional 



Boost your maturityy and self‐confidence Enjoy a greater clarrity about care
eer decisions
Impro
ove your skills for life after ggraduation Integrrate your faith
h and values w
with work 



Acad
demic 






Explore a po
otential careerr field Develop careeer‐related skkills and abilities Observe pro
ofessional people and behavio
or Build a netw
work of professsional contacts, po
otentially developing m
mentoring relationshipss Gain a comp
petitive edge ffor employmentt or graduate school admission 
Integgrate classroom
m theory with
h real‐life expe
eriences Unde
erstand the relevance of your course worrk Use rresources thatt are not available on campus Can b
be completed in the Fall, J‐tterm, Spring o
or Summer terrms Experienced virtuaally anywhere in the world
Prepaare you for graduate school Help you to finish college early b
by interning fo
or academic c redit in the su
ummer Wh
hy Shou
uld I Do
o An Inte
ernship
p or Praacticum for Creedit?
1. Many site
es require academic accoun
ntability so yo
ou are requiredd to do the exxperience for ccredit 2. Think abo
out, and devellop, personal and professio
onal skills whi ch will help yo
ou succeed in your career aand lifelong le
earning 3. Open doo
ors to graduatte school by h
having an interrnship recordeed on your traanscript 4. Protect yourself legallyy under the co
ollege's liability policy 5. Process o
opportunities and challenge
es through personal interacction with peeers and facultyy 6. Develop aa Web Portfolio, which high
hlights your se
elf‐directed leearning ability ‐ great for job
b and graduatte school interview
ws! 7. Internship Faculty Adviisor is availablle to provide yyou with guidaance, direction and help with resolving difficultie
es. 2 What is the Difference Between… Question Number of Credits How many hours would I need to work? How do I start the process? Practicum Earn 1‐3 credits May be required by some majors Work a minimum of 40 hours per credit for the semester or J‐term Done through your Academic Department Speak with your Academic Advisor Who Supervises me? Faculty in your department and on‐
What coursework is required in addition to work at the site? site supervisor Coursework mutually agreed upon by faculty supervisor and student Internship for Credit Earn 1‐12 credits 1‐3 credits ‐ Letter graded or Pass/Fail 4‐12 credits ‐ Letter graded Internship – No credit No credit Part ‐ time Job No credit Work a minimum of 40 hours per credit for the semester or J‐term Whatever is agreed upon with supervisor Whatever is agreed upon with supervisor Completed through the Career and Professional Development Office (CPDC) website *Register online using link above Internship Faculty Advisor and on‐
site supervisor Coursework done through the Internship program‐primarily online in CANVAS Identify an internship site and apply Identify a job site and apply On site supervisor On site supervisor None None Your own Your own What insurance am I Messiah College’s liability insurance Messiah College’s liability policy insurance policy covered by? Depends, usually not Depends on the site Depends on the site Yes GPA requirement? Depends on the major department 2.5 Depends on the site Depends on the site Does this meet the ELI requirement? Briefly, what are the pros and cons? Yes, if the practicum is designated as an ELI course by the department ‐Work closely with academic department to enhance in class learning with real life experience ‐Covered by college liability insurance ‐Faculty support for creating the best learning environment possible and resources to resolve on‐site difficulties Yes No No ‐Emphasis on professional development ‐Supervised guidance ‐Connecting the internship to your career plans ‐Covered by college liability insurance ‐Advisor provides on‐going professional feedback Pro: Any experience is valuable and looks good on a resume Con: No liability insurance coverage ‐No support to ensure that your experience is valuable and enhances your career options Pro: $$ Con: The experience is not necessarily providing career enhancing opportunities. (The job site is not required to provide you with learning opportunities.) ‐Not covered under the college liability insurance Is it paid? 3 What arre the A
cademicc Credit Optionss? What are t
the Acad
demic C
redit Op
ptions?
INTE391 (Sophom
mores, Jun
nior, and Seniors) –– Letter ggraded orr Pass/Faiil Credits Hours per Semester 1 Credit 40 hours ttotal 80 hours ttotal 2 Credits 120 hourss total 3 Credits Courseworrk One in‐persson class meeeting; regularr online courssework in CAN
NVAS One in‐persson class meeeting; regularr online courssework in CAN
NVAS One in‐persson class meeeting; regularr online courssework in CAN
NVAS INTE394 (Juniors aand Senio
ors) – Letter gradeed Credits Hours per Semester 4 credits 160 hourss 200 hourss 5 credits 240 hourss 6 credits 280 hourss 7 credits 320 hourss 8 credits 360 hourss 9 credits 400 hourss 10 credits 440 hourss 11 credits 480 hourss 12 credits Hours/Wee
ek 13 hours/w
week minimum
m 17 hours/w
week minimum
m 20 hours/w
week minimum
m 23 hours/w
week minimum
m 27 hours/w
week minimum
m 30 hours/w
week minimum
m 33 hours/w
week minimum
m 37 hours/w
week minimum
m 40 hours/w
week minimum
m Courrsework For aall 394 credits, there will
be tw
wo in‐person
n class meetin
ngs and regu
ular online coursework in CA
ANVAS **Syllabi ffor INTE39
91 and INTE394 can b
be viewed online Initial Q
Question
In
nitial
Qu
estionsns 1. How do I know wha
at kind of intternship I sh
hould look foor? Answer the followin
ng questionss to the followin
ng questionss to better diirect your seearch: Personall Interests What do you enjoy doingg? What issues are you paassionate abo
out? Academiic Interests Whatt do you mostt desire to leaarn and/or exxperience? Career or Grad School Goals Work Values Personal Abilities What do yo
ou see yourseelf doing every day for the next few yeaars? What re
ewards do youu seek? What cause do yo
ou advocate?
What skills an
nd abilities doo you have to
o offer? Wantt to test/deveelop? d to have myy own transp
portation?
2. Do I need
If you do n
not have yourr own transpo
ortation, yourr pool of poteential internships will be limited. Theree are very few internships on
n campus. Sh
huttle servicess may be ava ilable to and from the Harrrisburg Camp
pus. You should nott rely on transportation fro
om friends. 3. What is m
my GPA? In order to
o participate in an Internship through tthe Career an d Professionaal Developmeent Center (CPDC) your GPA must be 2.5 o
or higher. If yyour GPA is lo
ower, you mi ght want to d
discuss the po
ossibility of do
oing a practicum
m with your m
major advisor. 4
4. Am I awa
are of the typ
pes of experriential learn
ning opporttunities thatt are requireed and/or beneficiall for my specific major//career interrests? Step One Talk witth your adviso
or and other professors inn your major
Step Two Researcch your profe
essional organ
nizations and associations:: www.wedd
dles.com/asso
ociations nal Interviewss with peoplee in your field
d. (Handout in
n Career and Step Threee Conducct Information
Professsional Develop
pment Center) Step Four Visit ou
ur website: messiah.edu/caareer for oppportunities lissted in our job and internsship databasse, HANDSHA
AKE Step Five Talk witth a Career Co
oach in the Career and Proofessional Deevelopment C
Center (CPDC)) 5. Is my ressume professional and u
up to date?
First ‐ R
Review hando
out on Resume and Cover Letters ‐ Locaated online or hard copy in
n the Career a
and Professional Develop
pment Centerr (CPDC) Second ‐ Schedule an appointment with a Career Coach in the CPDC to review your rresume 6. Do I have
e enough ele
ective creditts available to completee an internsh
hip? Checck with your aacademic advisor, if you haave not alreaddy done so. The ccollege allowss up to 16 cre
edits of experriential educaation (Internships and Pracctica, specificaally). Find out if you need specific ap
pproval for an
n internship tto count towaard your majo
or or minor.
5
Ho
ow Do I Locate Ienternshship Opp
hip Oppo
ortunitie
es?
How do
o I Locate
Interns
portunit
ties? Some
e organizations have an esstablished intternship prog ram. To find the informattion on these interrnships on an organization’s website, lo
ook for sectio ns called: Carreers, Human
n Resources, Interrnships, or Contacts. may choose aa company that is new to internships annd you may b
be their first in
may even You m
ntern. You m
suggest ways thatt an intern miight benefit them. The CPPDC has a freee helpful guid
de for employyers ‐ Startting and Main
ntaining and Internship Pro
ogram. RESOURCEES FOR FIN
NDING AN INTERNSH
HIP 1. Famiily & Friends  Ask them to h
A
help you come
e up with the
e top 10 organnizations in your geograph
hic area (Research tells us that betw
ween 60‐80%
% of jobs are ffound through personal reelationships)
2. Messsiah’s Career and Professiional Develop
pment Cente r Web Resou
urces  Messiah’s Car
M
reer and Professional Deve
elopment Cennter ‐ job and
d internship d
database ‐ HA
ANDSHAKE  Messiah.edu/
M
/career > Job Search Resources lists m any online reesources  Messiah.edu/
M
/career > Internship Prograam lists manyy online resources for iden
ntifying internships 3. Interrnet Search Engines www.google.com or www.bing.com  For example: F
 Type in a simp
T
ple phrase such as “Historyy Internship iin Washington, DC” 4. Web
bsites of Profe
essional Orgaanizations forr Your Careerr Field  For example: F
Association o
of Electrical Engineers (AEEE) or the Ameerican Psycho
ological Assocciation (APA) – go to:: www.weddles.com/asso
ociations 5. State
e Governmen
nt Internshipss  Go to the Civi
G
l Service secttion and look for internshipps.  In Pennsylvan
nia, go to: http://www.p
h
portal.state.pa.us/portal/sserver.pt/com
mmunity/jobsseekers/11372 6. Fede
eral Governm
ment Internships  https://www.
h
.usajobs.gov// 7. Cham
mbers of Com
mmerce  Use Google.co
U
om or anothe
er search engine  Type in “Cham
T
mber of Comm
merce” for yo
our area of chhoice. For exaample: “Cham
mber of Comm
merce for Richmond
f
, VA” k and look fo
 Follow the lin
F
or the online m
member direcctory  Some Chambe
S
ers will list members by caategories suchh as accountaants, engineeering, etc.  From there, fo
F
ollow the linkks to specific o
organization websites 8. Busin
ness Journal ffor Your Regiion  Use Google.co
U
om or anothe
er search engine  Type in “Busin
T
ness Journal” ‐ for example
e: “Business JJournal for M
Minneapolis, M
Minnesota”  At the link, loo
A
ok for the Business Journaal’s “TopList” or “Book of LLists” Online 9. Non‐‐Profit Organizations e listed on the Messiah.ed
 Many links ar
M
du/careers >joob search>no
on‐profit  Including: Acccord Networkk, Idealist.org,, Non‐Profit CCareer Netwo
ork, OneWorld jobs, etc. 10. Web
bsites of Comp
panies You H
Have Already Identified  On the site lo
O
ok for links to
o Career Opportunities or Human Resources  Remember no
R
ot all organizaations keep th
heir websitess updated pro
omptly so eveen if somethin
ng is not listed or curre
ent, you should still inquire
e about oppoortunities . 6 After I H
Have Iden
hip Sites,hen Wha
What Do I
Affter I Hav
ve Identintified Po
ified Pototential ential InInternsh
ternship
p Sites, T Then W
at Do I D Do? Do? 1. Make a list of poten
ntial sites yo
ou will be ap
pplying to an
nd keep tracck of their im
mportant informa
ation, any co
ontact you have had witth them, and
d what mateerials you haave sent theem. Imp
portant Tip: HANDSHAKEE – Messiah College job and internship database allows you
u to trackk informatio
on and appliccations to all your potenntial sites witthin the systtem. 2. Importan
nt informatio
on that you need to kno
ow about eaach organizaation you aree applying for: Be sure tto read the o
organization’ss website tho
oroughly. Organiza
ation Informa
ation What is its miss
W
sion? What aare its goals?
Internship Availability Haave they hostted interns? W
When are inteernships available? Job Desccription What do intern
W
ns do? How aare they utilizzed? Requirem
ments What qualificat
W
tions/eligibili ty criteria aree desired? W
What clearancces are needeed? – See Attachment “Cleearances” Hours Ho
ow many hou
urs a week doo they expect vs. what you
u need to worrk? Iss the organizaation willing t o work with yyour schedulee? Application Procedurres Academiic Credit Compensation What materials
W
s are needed?? Deadlines?? Will they work W
with the coll ege’s academ
mic requiremeents? (Exercise cautio
on when/how
w you ask abo
out this.) 3. Contact Employers –
– there are se
everal situattions in whic h you might need to con
ntact an emp
ployer: You need
d more inform
mation about a potential in
nternship You are ffollowing up aafter you havve sent a resume and woulld like to conffirm that theyy have receiveed your resume aand checking to see if theyy need any ad
dditional inforrmation from
m you of the internship hiring proocess You are cchecking on the progress o
Sample Ph
hone Convversations:: (Please b
be pleasant, p
prepared and
d direct) Dial the n
number and cconfirm the n
name of the p
person listed aas intern coordinator or assk to be forwarded to the appro
opriate perso
on. "Hello, M
My name is __
____. Is _____
___ still the p
person in yourr office who hhandles the sttudent intern program? If so, may II speak with h
her (or him)?"" (If you do
on't have a co
ontact name) "Hello, M
My name is __
____. May I p
please speak w
with the persoon who coorddinates intern
nships in yourr organization?" Next stteps… 7  Immediately ask whether this person is willing to take a few minutes to discuss the internship and answer your questions, or whether they prefer to email materials to you.  Be prepared. Some site sponsors may want to interview you right away by phone. Be ready to briefly describe who you are, where you go to college, your goals, and why you’re interested in that organization.  Always express gratitude for their time and information before you hang up. If the organization indicates they have never had interns, ask if they may be willing to explore the possibility. The Career and Professional Development Center has a short manual to assist employers ‐ “Starting And Maintaining A Quality Internship Program”. It may be found in the Employer Information section of our web page ‐ messiah.edu/career 4. Apply to Internships by sending your resume and any requested supporting materials Be prepared to have some, or all, of the following ready to send and/or take to an interview:  Cover letter  Resume  References  Writing samples (when requested)  Transcripts  Other materials (Clearances or application forms required by organization)  Portfolio of previous work samples/accomplishments 5. The Wait 





Be prepared to wait at least five (5) business days for a response. If you don't hear anything in that amount of time, follow‐up with a telephone call. Be polite and courteous. Ask if the organization has received the materials you have emailed or mailed. Ask where they are in the decision making process. Ask if they need any further information from you. Feel free to briefly restate why you are interested in their organization. Thank them for their time and for consideration of your credentials. 6. Interviews Treat the internship interview with the same professional manner that you would for an entry‐level job interview in that profession. Go prepared – read the organization’s website again, and review Interviewing Guidelines. See Interviewing Guide in the Career and Professional Development Center. Remember to send a thank you note immediately following the interview. 7. Offers: Your Final Decision 




Will the internship offer valuable, relevant experience? Are your abilities suited to the organization? Do co‐workers and supervisor appear to be enthusiastic and supportive of interns? How much personal attention will you receive? How well does the project/assignments relate to your career goals? Academic goals? 8 ng/Rejecting O
Offers: Acceptin
If you
u have the prrivilege (and d
dilemma) of m
multiple offerrs, ask for a feew days to respond to their offer. This allow
ws you to weigh the pros aand cons of each offer. Neever, ever sayy “yes” to an organization and then go b
back later and
d say “sorry, b
but I have acccepted anothher internship
p.” 8. When you accept, co
onfirm these
e details in w
writing: Site supervisor (with contac
(
ct details)
Insurance/
bility liab
coverage
Job Descript
D
tion
Academ
mic requireme
ents
Work schedulee
Ap
ppropriatte
attire
Compenssation
PParking
(if anyy)
9. Show Ap
ppreciation by Sending a “Thank Yo
ou” Note




Be su
ure to send a thank‐you note within tw
wo business d
days to each of your interrviewers. Than
nk them and rrestate your interest in the
e position. You m
may want to reiterate som
mething that w
was discussedd during the iinterview. Than
nk‐you notes ccan be in the form of a handwritten, prrofessional‐lo
ooking, thank‐you card or aa well‐ crafted email.  If you
u are no longer interested in the positio
on, alert them
m to that factt. 9
Ho
ow Do I Register My Internsh
hip for C
Credit??
1. Go the Career and Pro
ofessional Development Center’s homee page (messiiah.edu/careeer). Click on tthe “Register for an Interrnship” link an
nd fill in the n
necessary infoormation. In order tto register, yo
ou must have
e the followin
ng informationn for the inteernship you haave obtained: All organizatio
A
on informatio
on including vvalid address
Site superviso
S
or name, title,, phone, and email Firm Start and
F
d End Dates Number of ho
N
ours you plan to work per week Number of cre
N
edits you wish to earn It is veryy important to
o note that aa site supervissor cannot bee a family meember. ur registration
n has been acccepted, you will receive aan email with instructions about how to
o sign up 2. Once you
for the crredit through
h the Registrar’s office. 3. Within a few days of rreceiving your registration
n form, a conffirmation letter will be emailed to your site superviso
or from the C
Career and Pro
ofessional De
evelopment CCenter. What aare the Final Sttep W
What are
e the Final Ste
ps? 1. Check to ssee if your site requires Cle
earances – se
ee page 10 foor instructionss. Some med
dical facilities may also have a number of healtth‐related req
quirements (ii.e., immunizaations, drug sscreening, etcc.). 2. Make sure
e to save the d
date for the M
Mandatory In
ntern Orientaation Class. 3. Ask your site supervisorr for a job desscription, if yo
ou have not aalready receivved one. 4. Watch on CANVAS for yyour course to
o open for the semester.
5. FOR SUMM
MER INTERNSSHIPS: a. If you are doing an internship in the summer,, the cost of ccredits is norm
mally one‐third the cost du
uring the reggular academ
mic year, but yyou must still pay for them
m. b. Housin
ng is your responsibility. 10 REQUIRED CLEARANCES (For those students who are at a site that requires clearances) Students applying for an internship with a significant likelihood of regular contact with children in the form of care, guidance, supervision or training must obtain FBI, Criminal, and Child Abuse History Clearances. To obtain clearances, you will be required to have quite a bit of information including all previous addresses and names of people with whom you have lived. FBI Clearance The Department of Public Welfare is utilizing Cogent Systems to process fingerprint‐based FBI record checks. The fingerprint‐based background check is a multiple step process. The Cogent Systems website www.pa.cogentid.com , allows individuals to apply online, as well as provides detailed information regarding the application process. The cost of obtaining the FBI clearance is $28. After applying online you will be required to be fingerprinted. The Cogent website provides options for where to have the fingerprinting done. Criminal Record Check Using the link below to PATCH, created by the Pennsylvania State Police, a requester can apply for a criminal background check on an individual (in this case, yourself). There is a fee, but the site accepts credit cards. If there is “No Record,” a certificate is returned immediately. Print this certificate. https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp Child Abuse History Clearance This form can be completed online at: http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/findaform/childabusehistoryclearanceforms/index.htm There are directions on the website for paper submission if you cannot submit electronically. 11