What is an Internship?
Why should I do an internship?
What kind of time commitment does an internship require?
What do I do if I need more information about internships?

Experiential Learning and Internships
A cornerstone of the Knox College educational program is the experiential learning component. The Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development encourages students to integrate experiential learning opportunities with their coursework. Experiential learning is a broad term used to describe educational opportunities in which the learner is brought into and learns from direct contact with the phenomena or realities being studied. An internship is one type of experiential learning opportunity that can play a pivotal role in enhancing each student's educational experience.

Internships also are an excellent way to enhance students’ liberal arts educations and increase their likelihood of gaining meaningful employment and/or acceptance into graduate school. Internships give students a chance to take the knowledge the student has learned in the classroom and apply or test it in the world of work. In addition, internships can be incredibly fun and exciting as a student grows as a person and a professional through the challenges and experiences that internships provide.

If you as an employer, have an interest in participating in the Knox Internship Program, please complete and submit the contact form.  A staff member of the Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development will be in touch with you to discuss internship opportunities. Also feel free to contact the office via e-mail or directly at 309-341-7494.

What is an Internship?
Internships are different from many short-term jobs or volunteer experiences in that they are specifically tied to a student’s career area of interest and bring an intentional learning agenda to the experience. As an intern, students will complete learning proposals and discuss learning objectives with their site supervisors before the internship begins.

The sponsoring organization develops and administers internships according to its needs and goals. Therefore, internships will vary in their structure and policies. Internships may last anywhere from a few weeks to a full year, may be full-time or part-time, and may be paid or unpaid positions.

Academic Internships:
These are internships for which academic credit is granted. In most cases, these opportunities are arranged between the student and a faculty supervisor.

Non-Credit Internships:
These are internships for which credit is not granted. Students work with the Internship Coordinator and other Career Center staff to locate and effectively complete the internship experience.

Why should I do an internship?
Internships are valuable for both professional and personal reasons. Regarding the world of work, internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. In order to be competitive in today’s job market, a student should be able to show—through paying jobs, volunteer experiences, and internships—previous exposure to and seriousness about the career field. Furthermore, internships may actually lead to a full-time job after graduation, since many employers hire their interns.

On a personal side, internships provide an opportunity for the student to continue learning and to apply classroom knowledge and experiences in the real world. Internships also provide the opportunity to work in an area or manner that the student finds personally meaningful. Finally, paid internships can provide financial assistance.

What kind of time commitment does an internship require?
Internships during the academic year are usually part-time, ranging from 10 to 20 hours per week. They generally are a minimum of ten weeks in length (about one term). However, internships can range in length from a few weeks to a full year. Internships offered during the summer can be part-time or full-time and typically extend through the entire summer. Hours and length of commitment vary with each organization, so be sure to identify internship opportunities that match your availability.

Note about summer internships: Many summer internship opportunities have starting dates that fall before the end of Spring Term. Don’t let that stop you from investigating these opportunities, as many organizations are flexible about starting and ending dates if they find the right person.

What do I do if I need more information about internships?
Make an appointment to meet with Knox College’s Internship Coordinator in the Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development. Call extension 7494 to find a time that fits your schedule. We also encourage you to utilize the Career Center’s internship resources, located in the Science-Math Center, Room D-212.