Don't lose hope!
Speak to your Faculty Supervisor in order to identify an alternative. The alternative assignment is at the discretion of the faculty advisor / department. It could be additional credits, an independent study, research, etc. If you are completing an alternative assignment, you do not need to fill out a Handshake Application, but you will still need to register for the course in order to receive academic credit.
Ways to find an internship (or get comparable experience) during COVID
COVID is a time for thinking outside the box. Get a little creative, and there are many ways to find an internship, or gain comparable experience, when fewer internships are posted online.
1. Connect with people doing work that interests you.
2. Sign up for SPU's Help a Falcon Fly program. Here, you'll request to be matched with an alum who is looking for an intern or who needs help with a professional project that interests you.
3. Check out Parker Dewey, Riipen, and MindSumo. These all offer ways to gain professional experience from micro-internships and creative projects with companies across the world.
4. Build your skills online. What skills do you want to gain from an internship? It's easier than ever to gain these online. Students can register for a FREE month of LinkedIn Learning. Plus, Microsoft just launched free learning paths to help people develop skills for 10 jobs in demand during COVID:
- Become a Software Developer
- Become a Sales Representative
- Become a Project Manager
- Become an IT administrator (Prepare for CompTIA Network+ Certification)
- Become a Customer Service Specialist
- Become a Digital Marketing Specialist
- Become IT Support / Help Desk (Prepare for the CompTIA A+ Certification)
- Become a Data Analyst
- Become a Financial Analyst
- Become a Graphic Designer
5. Use life design to (re)design an internship yourself! This could include a combination of the items above, and/or a personal project you do at home: anything from writing a research paper, creating an app, building a website, writing a blog post or article, creating a practice business plan or model, you name it. Looking for more ideas? Feel free to schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor in your career path of interest.
6. Keep searching online! Internships are still being posted for summer. As you do the items above, also continue to check out Handshake, Switchboard. Check out our Internships section on our website for other search tips.
7. Use our services and resources to help with your search! You can schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor, attend a workshop, check out our Online Field Guide through your Canvas account, or look at our website.
FAQ about internships during COVID
How can I tell if a remote internship is a good experience for me?
With remote internships, especially unpaid remote internships, it is important to make sure that you are still getting good experience from it. Ask yourself:
1. Will I have supervision and mentorship?
2. Will I be given training and feedback?
3. Does this internship seem like a lot of busy work and not a good way to build skills?
The answers to these questions will help you determine if this is a worthwhile opportunity for you to pursue or not.
What if I need an internship to reach the 12-hour full-time credit threshold?
If you do not need an internship to graduate, but were planning on taking one to reach the 12-hour full-time credit threshold, please reach out to your Student Financial Services Counselor. There may be provisions in place to assist you during this time.
Worried an opportunity is a scam?
Check out these guidelines.
Other internship questions?
Reach out to Elle Gohr at gohrd@spu.edu. For more information on how the Center for Career and Calling is available to serve you this quarter, please visit our website.