How to I get the experience I need to get hired? - Summer experience paths
An internship is defined as a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student's field of study or career interest. An internship gives a student the opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills. The Tippie Career Services team will often refer to these opportunities as a “summer experience.”
At the beginning of the search, Tippie students are often solely interested in pursuing traditional corporate internships with a brand name company for their summer experience. There are a handful of ways that students can gain valuable experience to add to their resumes outside of the typical corporate environment.
Note: The information on this page primarily applies to full-time, on-campus students who are looking for ways to grow professionally while not taking classes in the summer.
As you determine your plans for summer in terms of career exploration, development, and skill building, it is important to consider the following experiences:
Is there a way I can get a broad range of experience from one internship?
Start-up & non-profit experiences
Start-ups offer the opportunity to “wear a variety of hats.” You may be hired as a business analytics intern, but it is highly likely you will dabble in finance, strategic planning, and marketing work. You might find yourself writing a newsletter or updating a web page. You can expect the unexpected in a start-up organization and enjoy the uncertainty and challenge of this environment.
Non-profits can benefit from graduate-level talent. It is common for non-profits to have limited funds or not advertise for an intern at all. Is there an organization you care about and would like to share your value with this summer? Reach out and share what you can do. They may find funding, or you may be able to design your own internship with their leadership. Paid or unpaid, this can be an amazing and fulfilling experience that will also add to your credentials.
Can I do an internships focused on specific discipline or area of study?
Research, technical, & service-based experiences
You may decide the best way to apply your graduate-level skills is through a research-based experience. Typically, this is defined by you, coordinated with a faculty member, and then executed over 10-12 weeks over the summer. We encourage students to share out the experience, results, and recommendations at the end of the summer to faculty and staff to formalize the experience.
There are students who focus their summer experience on getting certified for a specific software, database, or other tool to enhance their professional profile. This is often paired with a smaller project to leverage that new tool or volunteer experience. This is another tangible and shareable experience to consider for summer.
Students may also secure an opportunity centered around service and impact such as building a school in a faraway country. If you are building a school with a team of volunteers as in the given example, seek out a leadership role to elevate your experience. This role could include managing the project, leading the team, determining goals, next steps, and community partners. These experiences often allow for service, travel, and professional growth.
My company needs interns!
Is your company is looking for summer interns, please email the Tippie Career Services team at tippie-careerservice@uiowa.edu to discuss ways to share your opportunities with current Tippie students.