Why Do an Internship?

• Experience: Internships give you valuable real world work experience in a professional job setting.
• Competitive Edge: Students graduating with internship experiences, in general, are more likely than students without those experiences to find employment upon graduation (National Association of Colleges and Employers Journal 2017).
• Career Exploration: Internships allow you to explore potential careers to help you choose what professions would fit best.
• Professional Skill Development: Interns are engaging in substantive work requiring problem solving, communicating with clients, and project management. The majority of an intern’s time is spent engaged in professional activities.
• Networking: An internship facilitates the development of professional contacts that may help you in the future
• Personal Development: You will develop a personal work ethic and be able to investigate your career interests, prospective career goals, and your approach to a professional workplace

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Your Internship and the Quest Curriculum

Ursinus students are asked to intentionally reflect before and after their credit internships. Reflecting on experiences helps students to identify specific training and career goals, enhance their awareness of what they are learning and why, and enrich their academic and professional development. The complete reflection process is ongoing and consists of pre, during, and post reflection. Many student supporters, such as faculty, academic advisors and Career and Post-Graduate Development advisors, will assist students in this perpetual cycle of reflection so that the thoughts and lessons that are learned can be used to support life-long learning.

Students will record their pre and post-reflections on their Internship Learning Agreement (ILA). These responses are shared with students’ faculty internship advisors who will encourage additional contemplation and assist students in making connections among their reflections, academic knowledge and their personal and professional goals.