Internships
Participate in internships and experiential learning opportunities to gain hands-on professional experience in industries or roles of potential interest.
“An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge with theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting.” National Association of Colleges and Employers
Albers encourages students to do internships because they provide the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore careers, and make connections in professional fields. 8 out of 10 employers say internships give the best ROI as a recruiting strategy.
In addition, there are many experiential learning opportunities that help you prepare for internships or supplement the internship experience.
The Albers Career Center is here to help you be successful in your internship search and experiential programs. Learn more below.
What is Experiential Learning?
In a nutshell, “Experiential Learning” is learning by doing. It is learning something new (a task, skill, etc.) through an experience such as doing a job, working on a research project, completing a case study, and a variety of other methods. It is also a great way to gain valuable experience and develop skills outside of the traditional summer internship experience. Below are a few resources to consider and explore to gain new skills and hopefully learn about the industry in which you want to work.
Please note that most of the resources included below are 3rd party vendors. We recommend you do your own due diligence regarding how they use the data you provide when registering for their services.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Micro-Internships
Short-term, project-based assignments that offer students the opportunity to gain career experience in a flexible manner and get paid. Check out our partner Parker Dewey for more information and to search for opportunities.
Virtual Work Experiences
Forage provides 5-6 hour virtual work experience programs that give students a genuine career advantage with the world’s top companies. Access free, online employer-designed work experiences that give you insight into specific roles and industries.
Business Case & Plan Experiences
Work on real-world business problems to build hands-on knowledge and skills. Albers a wide array of business plan experience and competitions to help you apply what you what in the classroom to real-world scenarios. Check out SU’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center to learn more.
Additional Experiential Learning Opportunities
Business Case & Plan Competitions
Externships
Short, informal and usually unpaid learning opportunities where you get a “behind-the-scenes” look at an organization. Similar to job shadowing, but virtual.