BY: GRACE FARRAR, VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Hi everyone! My name is Grace Farrar and I’m a junior public relations major and business administration minor. In my time at UofSC, internships have been very valuable experiences to me, so I wanted to share some of the resources I found in my internship search.
Applying and interviewing for internships are separate battles, but the first step of the process is finding internships to apply to. Before you start your search, consider exactly what you are looking for. What field is your internship in? Do you want to work remotely or virtual? Are you taking this internship for credit or would you like a paid opportunity? How will an internship help you further your career goals? Once you have these questions answered, you can start your search. These are the resources that helped me the most:
Handshake
When it comes time to look for jobs, the first place I always head to is Handshake. You can log on with your university credentials and your year, major and GPA are loaded for you! Under the “Jobs” tab, you can filter your search by location, job type, industry, preferred major and more. Internships are shown based on their relevance to your academic career and your searches.
In addition to the job search, you can apply directly on the Handshake website. There are other resources, including direct messaging with recruiters, Q & A sessions with employers and events like virtual career fairs.
CIC Emails
My personal favorite are the CIC Internship emails sent out by CIC career services manager Shirisha Mudunuri. These emails have internship and job opportunities in Columbia and surrounding cities. These are a wonderful resource, and some of the listings are offered directly to CIC students. I found my current job as a communications intern at SC Housing through these emails.
The CIC has a plethora of resources for students including internship placement help, interview prep, and workshops. Career Services is holding three fall workshops, including “Finding your First Internship” on Friday, November 5 in SJMC 318.
PRSSA Internship Center
A great resource for PRSSA members is the PRSSA Internship Center! Using your PRSSA login information, you can search for internships that match your interests. Some even give priority to PRSSA members. If you’re graduating soon, you can also search for full-time jobs in the PRSA Jobcenter.
When in doubt, just ask!
While it seems simple, asking your advisor is a great way to scout out job openings, especially those on campus. Advisors are well connected to people within the university and professionals within your major industry, so they often know of job openings you might not have heard of otherwise.
My sophomore year, I decided I needed an internship in the communications field to make sure I actually enjoyed the work in practice. I emailed my advisor, and she suggested a writing internship with the UofSC College of Engineering and Computing. I was skeptical at first (STEM is just not my thing) but it ended up being an invaluable experience to me and helped me land my summer internship. Never be afraid to reach out for help from your advisor, mentor or professors!
uofscprssa.org 