What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is education outside the classroom that focuses on helping you acquire practical skills and knowledge while exploring various work roles and career choices. Experiential learning can help you connect your classroom education with the world of work.

Ways to learn through experience?

You can learn through experience by participating in an internship, part-time or summer job, informational interview, and/or externships. Experiential learning is not limited solely to the paths mentioned here, and can be self-initiated to meet your career development needs. The UCS staff and information available in the Career Information Center will assist you in finding the learning experience best suited to you.

General Information about Internships
About Securing an Internship
Some short-term decisions to think about

General Information about Internships

They help you make sense of your career options.
Regardless of your major and career plans, internships can benefit you. They offer you a glimpse into the realities of an occupation, a particular organization, and its industry. They help you develop and enhance marketable skills. A good internship can make choosing an occupation and finding a job upon graduation easier, less stressful, and more rewarding.

They come in all shapes and sizes.
Internships can be paid or unpaid, for credit or not-for-credit, full-time or part-time. They can be for one academic or summer quarter, or for the entire year. The important distinction between an internship and a job is that internships have a learning component. While contributing to the goals of an organization, you should also be encouraged to learn about the company, its industry, potential career paths, and yourself – how you see yourself fitting into the work world.

They are important to your future.

• They can validate your interest in a particular field/industry.
• They help to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• They aid in the discovery of other interests you may not know you possess.
• They develop intellectual, interpersonal and leadership qualities.
• The develop skills to prepare you for the job market and prepare you for the culture in which you will one day work.
• They allow for opportunities to network with professionals in the industry and possibly open up additional opportunities for you.
• They provide you with valuable work experience that will make you a more viable candidate for the job market.

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About Securing an Internship

Start your search as soon as possible and keep it going.
Many internships have application deadlines in the fall and early winter. For this reason, you can start your search preparation as soon as you’re back on campus in the fall. You may also want to use time during the summer to research your key fields of interest to help you narrow your search. Regardless of when you start your search, working at it with consistency is important. Rather than doing a flurry of work for a week and then neglecting the search the next two weeks, build a small amount of time into your schedule each week.

It’s not just who you know that matters.
The internship search requires time, effort, and key skills including: resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, knowing and articulating your values, skills, interests, preferences, and abilities, and researching organizations and opportunities. Who you know certainly helps, but more important is who you get to know and how well you build and maintain relationships.

Consider all of your options.
You may be trying to choose between two career fields. Don’t feel like you have to do just one internship each summer. Perhaps you’d benefit from two different experiences, working part-time at each location. Also remember that some wonderful learning opportunities are not always called “internship.”  Summer jobs, part-time jobs, externships, volunteer work, and co-op programs can also be great ways to enhance your skills. Likewise, not all internships are great learning environments. Be discriminating when deciding how you’ll spend your time. Do everything you can to ensure you will grow and be challenged.

Don’t let one bad apple spoil your appetite.
Your last internship experience may have shown you that a career field is not as interesting as you thought. Before changing your mind about a career, be sure your decision is not based on the characteristics of just one organizations or segment of the industry. For example, you may not have enjoyed your marketing internship with a large consumer product company, but perhaps you would thrive in a marketing internship with a not-for-profit organization.

Use UCS as a Resource.
UCS Internship Advisors can help you learn how to find and secure the opportunities you desire. Meet with a UCS Internship Advisor today to develop a search strategy specifically for you!

Summer and Part-time Jobs
A summer job can be a full- or part-time position held during the summer. Any summer job can be made into an internship-like experience by putting your initiative to work. Having a part-time job while going to school is an experience in time-management, prioritizing, self-organization, and responsibility. Your experience with part-time jobs will show an employer you are capable of managing your time and balancing school with work.
Summer and part-time work (especially if relevant to your career goals) can lead to great opportunities, add to your resume, job interviews, and your personal networking system.

Temporary Employment
Temporary jobs are another great way to get your foot in the door of a company, or several companies, and gain experience and skills. Sometimes temporary agencies can offer you a position that lasts an entire summer, and other times you can get a taste of several environments through one-, two-, or multiple-week assignments. Most often these positions can be found through employment service firms, and include a mix of professional, administrative, and technical opportunities.

Community Service and Volunteer Work
When an internship is not an option, or if you would like to make a larger contribution to an organization, volunteering may be the answer. A volunteer experience involves contribution of your services to an organization or community. Volunteering demonstrates impressive motivation as well as an interest in your chosen career field. While volunteer positions are typically unpaid, the hours are flexible and can be performed whenever you have free time. Often you do not even need prior experience. To find out more about volunteer opportunities, visit the Student Community Service Office on the third floor of the Norris University Center.

Informational Interviewing
Informational interviewing is a focused conversation with a professional in an industry that you are seeking more information about. Informational interviews also provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your interest in the industry to a professional who might be able to recommend you for a position. Of course, it is inappropriate to use an informational interview to ask for a job. However, these conversations naturally lend themselves to conversations about your career goals, and in this case it is appropriate to talk about your own interest in the industry and your current internship or job search objectives.

Job Shadowing or Externships
An externship or job shadowing experience allows you to spend between a day and several weeks observing a professional on the job. Participating in an externship is an excellent way to learn first-hand about a particular profession that interests you. The Northwestern University Externship Program (NEXT) arranges opportunities to “shadow” NU alumni at their workplace for one to three days. A UCS Internship Advisor can tell you more about this program.

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Some short-term decisions to think about

Regardless of whether you are considering a formalized internship, part-time job, or volunteering, it’s important to give some thought to your goals and reasons for participating in the learning experience. Here are some questions to consider:

• What is the primary reason you’re looking for an experiential learning activity?  To earn money?  Test out career hunches?  Gain experience to add to your resume?  Develop career-related skills?
• Do you know what industry you would like to find an internship in or have the opportunity to explore through other experiential activities?  (If you are unsure or undecided about your areas of interest, we suggest meeting with a UCS career counselor first.)
• What are you interested in doing?  Where?  With whom?  In what type of organization?
• What skills can you bring to the job?  Why should you be hired instead of any other college student?
• Is money an issue?  How much money do you need to make?
• Can you afford to do volunteer work or an unpaid internship that might relate more directly to your career objective?
• Will the position provide an opening into your dream career or help in applying to a particular graduate or professional school?
• Will it help you decide between attending graduate/professional school and pursuing full-time employment?
• Is it important for your summer work experience or internship (or other experiential activity) to tie in with your academic pursuits and career goals?

To learn more about experiential learning or for assistance with securing other experiential learning opportunities, visit UCS at 620 Lincoln Street.

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