Internships are one of the most popular ways for students to gain industry experience and build a professional network during their time at UConn. Internships are available in virtually every industry and can be a great way to learn more about what working in a specific field is like. While there are many resources available to find internships online, here are 5 that we found to be the most successful at helping students find and secure internship offers:
1. Handshake – Handshake is the Center for Career Development’s leading resource for connecting students with employers who are interested in hiring UConn talent. Use Handshake to search for internship options by location, major, employer, year, industry, and job title. With over 2,500+ internship listings posted on Handshake right now (and more being added each day), you are likely to find an internship that works well with your professional interests. Browse the job description to learn more about roles and responsibilities, requirements, and application materials. Each internship offers a unique experience, so do your research and narrow down your options to help you along in your internship search process.
2. LinkedIn – LinkedIn is the top choice for social media and networking among industry professionals. Aside from helping you build your virtual network, LinkedIn also hosts a wide range of internship opportunities nationwide. You can use LinkedIn’s job filters to specify your search by date posted, experience level, company, location, title, industry, and job function. Some unique features about LinkedIn’s job board are that you can filter by remote opportunities if there are limited in-person options in your area, and you can also see how many applications have been submitted for each posting so you have a better understanding of how many people you’re competing against. If you scroll to the bottom of each posting, you can see how many UConn alumni work at the company, so it’s easier to connect with someone if you want to learn more about what it’s like to work there.
3. JobX – JobX is the UConn Student Employment website that students typically use to apply for on-campus opportunities. These opportunities are exclusively for UConn students and give you the chance to participate in an internship on-campus, so if you live on-campus or nearby, this might be a good option if you want an on-campus internship experience. You can filter your search results by job title, employers (i.e. which department or office at UConn is hiring for that opportunity), time frames (by semester), wage/hour, and hours/week. Keep in mind that internship opportunities are posted periodically throughout the academic year, so be sure to check back regularly if you don’t see an internship that fits your needs.
4. Indeed – Indeed is an employment website that allows you to explore internship opportunities worldwide. One helpful feature of Indeed is that you can read company reviews for each company that posts an opportunity, which is a great way to see a snapshot of past intern and employee experiences, especially if you are not familiar with the company. An important part of any internship is finding the right company culture where you can thrive and accomplish meaningful projects, so reading reviews and ratings can help you learn more about how the company treats its employees or give you some tips on how to be successful in your interview based on who they’ve hired in the past.
5. Vault – Vault gives students access to their own internship search board for prestigious companies nationwide. Students can read about internship opportunities and research companies of interest and their internship requirements. Students are also able to research different industries to learn more about what specific skills might be good to have to secure employment in that field. Vault’s guides and career resources are available if you’d like more information on how to market yourself for each internship you apply for. Vault also has information on which companies currently offer virtual internship programs for students who prefer remote opportunities.
We hope that these resources serve as a helpful guide on where to look for internships. Each website has its own special features to help you in your internship search, so be sure to review every resource because you never know where you’ll find the perfect internship for you. If you would like more advice on how to find an internship in your industry, feel free to schedule an appointment with a Career Coach at the UConn Center for Career Development to discuss your options.
