College - U. Got It?

Internship Seekers Find Extra Help With New Site Launch

June 2nd, 2008

For those of you who are currently on the search for internship help, there’s a new site that just may be perfect for you. Dr. Jerry Cahn, president of Presentation Excellence, recently launched a networking site called InternPower along with the help and input of his intern Oriana So, a student at CUNY Baruch College. The site is so in tune with students that its initial launch was done through Facebook. InternPower is committed to helping students and hiring companies optimize the internship experience.

InternPower is intended not only for those seeking internships, but also for companies who work with interns and those who have already participated in an internship. InternPower offers a variety of help for both students and companies alike. Students can go on the site and locate potential internships. They are also provided with guidance on the internship application and selection process. Companies can use the site to locate options on how to reach out to their target students. There is even a section on the site for intern supervisors to share advice and questions.

Internships have become very important for gaining experience within your field of study and also for helping students figure out if they’re following the right career path. It also provides the intern with an opportunity to gain insight on potential companies. Finding an internship has become easier as the popularity and need of internships began to increase. Prior to the creation of internship websites that list potential opportunities, students only had the option of talking to a career center counselor at their college, or getting contact with people they knew to help get their foot in the door.

InternPower is just one of the many websites that provide students with internship help. Internshipprograms.com, monstertrak.com, and careerbuilder.com list internships for students studying in all majors. But sometimes you have to go beyond just these sites. Performing an internship search through search engines such as Google is very helpful. If you’re a graphic design student, putting words such as “graphic design internships’, can lead you to several different companies who are seeking interns to work on web design projects. Another good idea for locating internships is to visit a company’s web site and checking to see if they have job listings available.

Journalism majors, such as myself, find themselves seeking internships not only through search engines and websites, but also by writing directly to publications in which they are interested in interning for. When I began my internship search I looked through the regular sites (i.e., careerbuilder, monstertrak) but saw that this wasn’t enough. As time passed on I found websites which were dedicated to journalism majors, and looked at mastheads of all the publications which have always caught my eye. I read through forums, such as the one seen on internpower.com, and read through blogs similar to some that can be found here on collegebound.net.

I began sending emails to inquire about current openings with companies and also applied to listings seen through Google searches I had performed. I didn’t receive responses right away (the waiting period can be nerve-wracking), but when they did start arriving I began to feel the excitement. I knew soon enough I would begin doing something I loved and would begin the journey down my dream career path.

Sites that include forums (internpower.com) and message boards become ideal in the individual’s internship search because it brings you together with others in your situation, as well with those who have already had the opportunity to intern at a company.

-Priscilla Rodriguez

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Entry Filed under: Careers