Finding an appropriate internship is a research project likely to take several weeks to several months.
Consider the following when beginning your search:
Your Interests
- Do you have a clear idea of where you would like to intern OR where you’d like to work after college? A specific company or organization?
- Are there issues (e.g., sustainability, women’s rights), products, or services that you are especially drawn to? (e.g., fashion, sports/entertainment, retail, health care ...)
- Where, geographically, would you like to intern? Do you have friends/family that live somewhere you’d like to explore?
- A Suggestion:
Make an appointment to talk with a career counselor and/or take advantage of the several interest/skill inventories available to you via the Career Services Office.
Resources
- Networking: Do you know someone who knows someone? Networking is often the most effective means of finding internship opportunities.
- Explore job/internship fairs sponsored by Penn State
- Job/Internship Search sites
These are numerous. Some are listed on our Student Resources page - Opportunities with the Federal Government
- Opportunities with the PA State Government
NOTE: The above sites will list only opportunities that are advertised. There are many possibilities for crafting your own internship with an organization that is not advertising for internships. Start with the sites below.
Chambers of Commerce websites
Chambers of commerce are business-to-business networking organizations. They often have broad membership from local/regional businesses and non-profits. If you have an idea where you’d like to intern geographically, these are great sites to search for specific organizations to target.
National site (lists states, then under states, localities)
- Choose a state
- Choose a locality
- Look for Membership Directory (sometimes just Directory)
- Search by category
United Way websites
A local United Way office is a good place to begin to explore service organizations and other not-for-profit groups in a particular location. Listings by states may be found below on the United Way site.
