Internships & Experiences
Getting Started
Internship Guide Part 1 of 5
Before you start applying, figure out what kind of experience you’re looking for, what you want to get out of it, and when to start.
Start here: What counts as experience?
Experiential learning is learning by doing. It’s the bridge between classroom learning and career readiness: it helps you apply knowledge, build confidence, develop professional skills, and explore careers before graduation.
The goal isn’t “just get an internship.” The goal is to choose experiences that help you test interests, build skills, make connections, and collect evidence of what you can do.
Experiences that can build your career
- Internship
- Structured, supervised work connected to career interests.
- Undergraduate research
- Faculty-mentored or lab/project-based inquiry that builds analytical and technical skills.
- Co-op
- A longer or alternating work-and-study experience; structure varies by program and employer.
- Micro-internship
- A short, project-based professional experience that can help you sample a field.
- Job shadow / externship
- Short-term observation of or exposure to a profession or workplace.
- Clinical, field, practicum or student teaching
- Program-specific applied learning with professional supervision.
- Campus employment
- Paid work that can build communication, teamwork, technology, leadership and professionalism.
- Service learning / volunteer work
- Community-based experience that can demonstrate impact and transferable skills.
- Leadership / student organizations
- Roles where you plan, lead, budget, communicate, solve problems or manage projects.
- Forage job simulations
- Short employer-designed simulations that let you practice tasks and explore roles.
NACE career readiness competencies
As you gain experience, look for evidence that you’re building these eight competencies:
- Career & Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
Choose the right experience for you
Before you search, answer these questions
- What do I want to learn or explore?
- Which skills do I want to build?
- What type of work sounds interesting: research, people-facing, analytical, creative, technical, community-based, outdoors, office, lab, field, remote or hybrid?
- How many hours per week can I realistically commit?
- Do I need paid work?
- Do I want or need academic credit?
- Where can I work: Morgantown, my hometown, another city, remotely, or abroad?
- What matters to me in a workplace: mission, culture, mentoring, schedule, size, industry or population served?
Use a “good fit” scorecard
| Factor | Must have | Nice to have | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning | Meaningful tasks | Training | What will I actually do? |
| Supervision | Named supervisor | Regular feedback | How often will we meet? |
| Logistics | Works with classes | Flexible schedule | What are the expected hours? |
| Compensation | Fits my finances | Stipend/benefits | Is it paid? Any travel costs? |
| Career fit | Builds useful skills | Strong network | What skills will I leave with? |
Not sure what “counts”? Meet with Career Development. A research role, campus job, volunteer project, or leadership position may be highly relevant even when the title doesn’t include the word internship.
Plan early: a student timeline
A practical four-year approach
First year
Explore
Build a first resume; join organizations; attend career events; try campus work, volunteering, research exposure or a job simulation.
Second year
Connect
Strengthen LinkedIn; network; apply for internships and research; practice interviewing; collect examples of your skills.
Third year
Develop
Complete a substantial internship, research, field or leadership experience; attend fairs; build references; target next-step employers.
Fourth year
Create
Translate experiences into resume and LinkedIn stories; apply for jobs or graduate school; practice interviews; maintain your network.
When should I apply?
There’s no single internship season. Many employers recruit months in advance, while smaller organizations may hire closer to the start date. For competitive summer opportunities, begin researching in early fall and keep applying through spring. Start even earlier for programs with security clearances, structured national programs, government timelines, or competitive research experiences.
Rule of thumb: don’t wait until you “feel ready.” Build your materials early, then improve them while you apply.
Your search rhythm
- Set 2–3 target fields or role types.
- Save searches and alerts in Handshake and other trusted platforms.
- Apply consistently each week instead of all at once.
- Track applications, contacts, deadlines and follow-ups.
- Network while you apply; don’t rely only on online postings.
Not sure where to start?
Meet one-on-one with a Career Development Specialist for internship strategy, application materials, interview preparation, career exploration and next-step planning.