Gain job experience solving real-world problems with internships

Are you ready to get started? Science students are leading the way in solving some of the most pressing societal and global challenges. Getting hands-on experience can be key to getting your foot in the door and exploring the career of your dreams.

Whether you are working for a private firm, a research lab or a government organization, an internship offers invaluable experience that complements classroom learning and provides you with practical skills and field-specific knowledge essential for success in your future career. Through internships, you’ll have opportunities to apply knowledge from the classroom to real-world problems, gaining hands-on experience and building professional networks within your chosen field. Internships are also key in setting up for success in the competitive job market upon graduation. Employers look at internships as one of the main recruiting tools to recruit entry-level college graduates.

Explore career preparation specifically for science students like you

"An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting."

- National Association of Colleges and Employers

Studies show that post-college candidates are much more likely to land a full-time, rewarding career after completing an internship. Want more info about the benefits of internships? Check out Indeed’s complete guide.

Employers and hiring managers tend to look more favorably on job candidates boasting internship experience. If you want to make the best possible leap from college to career, internships are crucial.

Get the preparation you need to obtain an internship by visiting the Career Development Center at OSU.

Finding an internship

Internships can be posted anywhere, but they are very rarely posted everywhere! This means that searching on multiple sites is the best strategy to find opportunities of interest to you. Below are some tips for finding an internship.

Communicate with your community! Share your interests with friends, family, advisors, professors and others who may connect you to an opening.
Attend an event! Meet new people at career fairs and networking receptions. You can find upcoming career networking opportunities on the events page.
Join professional science organizations or science student clubs.
Leverage professional networking sites such as LinkedIn to connect with your peers and alumni! Join the College of Science LinkedIn. #gobeavs
Search online! Log in to Handshake and search for thousands of positions that are specifically posted for OSU students and alumni. Other good job search engines include Indeed, and LinkedIn.

Applying for internship

Did you find some opportunities that interest you? Getting ready to apply can be an exciting, confusing, and nerve-wracking experience. Outlined below are some steps to help ease the process:

Read the internship application and description! That’s where the employer will tell you what you need to do to apply. The description tells you information about the role and what type of skills they might want you to have.

Prepare your documents! These might include things like a resume/CV, cover letter, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation.

When it comes to a resume, as an OSU student you have free access to a resume editor called Vmock. Upload your resume and get instant, tailored feedback! Be sure to leverage keywords from the description in your resume when applicable.

There are free, curated cover letter resources and templates available online. Reviewing these helps to demystify what to include in your cover letter.

Leverage places like the writing center to help with statements of purpose or personal statements. When in doubt, you can always schedule an appointment with your College of Science Career Advisor, Rachel Palmer, via BeaverHub, to review your documents.