Would you purchase a car without taking it for a test drive first? We didn’t think so. So why put money into an education to pursue a career that you haven’t given a trial run? Internships allow you to get in the driver’s seat of a certain occupation. Here are just a few things that you will gain from an internship experience:

  • Knowledge about the occupation, company, field and industry
  • Hands on experience to enhance your knowledge and skills for the future
  • Expanded network of professionals in a field of interest
  • An understanding of how you fit (or don’t fit) within that particular company or occupation
  • A great resume builder to better market your skills and experience to employers
  • Confidence in your abilities and future career direction
  • A foot in the door to a company or organization that you may be interested in working for (a number of interns are later offered full-time or part-time employment within an organization)

Types of Internships

Co-Curricular Internships. If you are in a program that does not require an academic internship for graduation, acquire an internship for your own professional development.

Academic Credit. Some degree programs at OSU-Cascades require internships as part of their curriculum for graduation (HDFS, Hospitality Management, Kinesiology, TRAL). If you need to complete an internship for academic credit, make sure that you are registering for the practicum and/or internship course(s) and are working with your department’s internship placement coordinator or faculty.

Finding an Internship

To find an internship in your field of interest consider the following:  log on to Handshake to check out the latest intership listings, network with local companies of interest to inquire about internship opportunities, reach out to OSU alumni working in positions or organizations that are intriguing to you on LinkedIn.

The following internship search sites can also be helpful. But don’t rely on reacting to things that are already posted online. The more proactive you are in your search to seek out people and companies of interest, the more opportunities you will have presented to you. Additional resources can be found on the job search resources page.

Internship Search Sites

Earning Academic Credit

Many of the programs at OSU-Cascades allow you to do an internship for credit and count those credits toward graduation requirements. Since credits can't be earned retroactively, you need to get approval for your internship and register for the course prior to completing your experience. Most program pages have internship guidelines to follow, but all students ultimately will need to Request an Experience in Handshake in order earn credit.