Finding an Internship

If you are struggling to find opportunities or overwhelmed and don't know where to start, we strongly recommend you reach out for help.

The Career Education Center has a Internship Search Lab, only a 45 minute commitment, and it is offered each week at 10am on Mondays and 2pm on Thursdays.

Questions to Consider 

Ahead of and during your search, you may want to ask yourself some of the following questions:

• What do I want to learn?
• What skills do I want to develop?
• What industries or job functions would I like to explore?
• What subject areas would I like to learn more about?
• Where do I want to live?
• Do I have friends or family in other cities where I could stay if I want to broaden my geographical search?
• What can I afford (paid or unpaid internship)?

Answering these questions will help guide your search towards meaningful, professional experiences that match your skills, interests and values. 

Begin Your Search Early 

It may take several months to find the right internship for you. Many internship programs have deadlines as early as fall for the following summer. It's never too soon to start looking! Some positions might require specific coursework or year in school. Don't let that discourage you. Take note of those requirements and make yourself more competitive by participating in student organizations, community engagement or on-campus employment, and apply next year! 

Additional Resources 

If you are looking for an internship while at the University of Portland, make sure to utilize Handshake. This is a platform that has an internship/job board with great opportunities for UP students. Here are a variety of additional resources that you may find useful: 

• Creating Your Own Internship: This guide has some helpful tips and email templates for reaching out to employers to inquire about internships.  
• Internship Action Plan: a comprehensive guide with step-by-step resources and worksheets to help you through each part of the outreach and application process  
• Finding a Quality Internship: what to look for when evaluating an internship opportunity, and what to avoid 
• Employers with Early Career Talent Programs: a list of 1,000+ organizations you might want to look into if you are searching for an internship

Still Have Questions?  

Feel free to contact the Internship & Experiential Learning Coordinator, in the Career Education Center at 503.943.8445 or internship@up.edu.