Internships

The Philosophy of Career Development Services

The Internship Program offered through Career Development Services at California State University Channel Islands is committed to promoting and facilitating opportunities that will enhance the educational experience of our students as well as their future careers. Connecting students with employers constitutes a significant part of the effort. With your support, students will explore new directions and possibilities for their careers while also providing a valuable service to your business/organization and to the community.

What is an Internship?

An internship is a practical experience, gained in a "real world" situation. Students learn how to apply principles and concepts learned in college. It is also an opportunity to explore how a particular organization functions in its environment and to "network" in a specific industry or discipline. Internships are pre-professional work experience opportunities designed to help students:

• Build knowledge in a major area of study
• Develop necessary skills
• Gain experience in a chosen career field
• Observe professionals in the workplace
• Bridge the gap between the University and the world of work

As part of their career development, students are advised to create learning goals and objectives. Goals encourage the intern to build knowledge of an industry while increasing productivity and effectiveness on the job. Internships are a collaborative effort between employers, students, and California State University Channel Islands.

Benefits to Employers

More and more employers are realizing the value of internships. Internships can help employers find and use talented students to assist with necessary and important projects. Through this program, participating businesses and organizations will:

• Obtain motivated, educated students eager to perform for your organization
• Have an opportunity to preview future applicants and prospective employees
• Receive help with short-term projects
• Develop a working relationship with the California State University Channel Islands campus community

Not Sure If Your Business Should Offer an Internship?

• Is the work appropriate for a college student?
• Will you offer sufficient learning opportunities?
• Are available and qualified supervisors on site?
• Will you provide appropriate resources to do the job?
• Are the required skills and responsibilities sufficiently challenging?

Answering these questions will help you determine whether or not your organization can offer a valuable learning experience.

The Facts

Internships are appropriate for undergraduate or graduate students working in fields that relate directly to their academic and/or career interest. Typically interns work at the organization ten to twenty hours a week. The length of the internship is determined by the employer’s needs and the availability of the student. To abide by labor laws, interns must be compensated for their work. Compensation can take the form of one or a combination of the following:

• Hourly pay (typically $8.00-$15.00 an hour based on the skills of the intern)
• Monetary stipend
• Credit: Students may receive academic credit for supervised internship experience*

* Only Cal State Channel Islands faculty can grant academic credit. Neither the employer nor Career Development Services can determine what is admissible for credit. However CDS would be happy to help facilitate the process by placing the employer in touch with the appropriate department and faculty member that can assist you with this process.

The Process

If you are interested in hosting a California State University Channel Islands intern:

1. 1.Go to the CDS website. Click on Employers link to register with the Career Center.
2. 2.Once you have registered with the Career Center, a username and password will be emailed to you. You will then be able to post your internship(s) on our website. Our online posting program also allows students to submit their resume to you on line or send directly to our e-mail.
3. 3.Your internship position will be also be listed in an internship binder which is kept in the Career Center library for students to view.
4. 4.Interested students will contact you directly to arrange an interview.