Internships should be more than just getting coffee and making copies. And students at Ohio State Mansfield who land internships find so much more. Every year an average of 40 of our students obtain internships — and over 90 percent of them are paid positions.
A valued asset to any resume, internships can open your eyes to what to expect once you land a job and begin your professional career. They also offer a gateway to employment in your chosen field, a career network and professional recommendations, and ways to put your education to work from the day you start.
What is an internship?
Internships are characterized by the following:
- A defined start and end date
- Clearly defined project-based learning objectives and goals that align with the student’s academic pursuits
- Supervision and regular performance feedback by a professional with education and expertise in the field
Internships can be paid or unpaid, and credit bearing or non-credit bearing.
Finding an Internship
Handshake is an intuitive, easy-to-use job search system to help students connect with employers for part-time jobs, internships, co-ops and full-time career opportunities. Handshake is accessible to students using their name.# and password to log in. Students should complete their profile so that they can start taking advantage of everything Handshake has to offer: job searching, resume review, career events, career fairs, employer reviews and much more.
If a student is considering an unpaid internship, they should familiarize themselves with Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines
There are many other ways to find an internship. Several are outlined below:
- Utilize personal networks
- Meet with a staff member in a college career services office (no link here)
- Utilizing Buckeye OnPACE to prepare for the search process
- Find on-campus career and internship fair events on Handshake
- Find opportunities state-wide at the Ohio Means Internships & Co-ops
- Find opportunities for links Micro-internships & Gig Opportunities
We will share a lot of internship and career opportunities as we become aware of them. Students have to be actively involved in the career and internship search process to find a position that is right for you.