FAQs

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term, practical work experience that gives you a chance to explore a professional field or area of interest. Internship work can be administrative, physical, or scholarly in nature, depending on the hiring company or organization.

What's the benefit of interning?

Internships can have several benefits. They can help you to identify and develop critical career skills, afford you the chance to network with professionals and secure a career mentor, and give you a sample of the workload, environment, limitations and possibilities of a particular field. But an internship is also what you make it—the more you put into the experience, the more you will get out of it.

What's the time commitment?

Depending on the type of internship and the employer, the hours can range anywhere from 10— 40 hours per week, though those that require more than 20 hours/week are typically take place during the summer months.

Will I get paid?

Internships can be paid or non-paid. When pursuing a desired opportunity, be sure to find out if there is a stipend offered, as it may affect your ability to commit to an employer.

What types of internships are there?

There are a broad range of internships available, encompassing most every professional field, hosted by corporations, nonprofit agencies, service organizations, and located here or abroad. However, it does require a bit of research to find the right one for you. We recommend talking to your department faculty, meeting with staff in the Office of Internships & Community-based Learning and the Office of Career Services, speaking with fellow students who have completed internships and to Whittier alumni professionals to get ideas about the possibilities of internships that match your field of study and personal interests.

What sort of work will I be doing in an internship?

Generally, the type of work involved in an internship may include research, organization, analysis, writing, general office work, lab work, meeting attendance, event support, data collection and synthesis, among others.

When should I be looking for an internship?

Internships are recommended for students during their sophomore, junior, or senior years, provided academic eligibility can be met. Summers are optimal for internships, and the majority of opportunities will be offered June through August. Application deadlines for highly competitive summer internships usually fall as early as the preceding December.