Office of Student Life
Buckeye Careers

Internships

Buckeye Careers and Internships

Student Life Buckeye Careers works to support students and their career preparation through the establishment of internships. One of our missions is to consult with employers in order to create internship and co-ops opportunities. We work closely with the college career offices to build the most wide-ranging, robust and fulfilling opportunities for our Ohio State students.

What is an internship?

Internships are characterized by the following:

  1. A defined start and end date
  2. Clearly defined project-based learning objectives and goals that align with the student’s academic pursuits
  3. 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.

Why should students look for an internship NOW?

Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths. They give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent, as well as potential new hires with experience in their company once the student graduates. Students will gain a better understanding of a specific company or industry and the possibility of the industry to be a longer term career fit.  In short, an internship will put students in a better position to land and succeed in the job market. 

Research shows that students who participate in internships and co-ops complete college at higher rates than those who do not, are better prepared for the workplace and are better paid. The average offer rate for students that participate in internships for full-time opportunities is 73%, and the average hourly wage for interns seeking a bachelor’s degree is $17.50.

One way to explore opportunities prior to committing to an internship is through an informational interview. The student can learn first-hand about their chosen profession by asking questions about tasks, business environment and educational background. Here are some questions a student might ask:

  • What is your typical workday like?
  • What do you like most (and least) about your job?
  • What skills/abilities are most important to succeed in this job?
  • What is your educational background?
  • How did you get started in this field?
  • What courses were most helpful to you and which would you recommend?
  • What is the best way to get started in this field?
  • Do you have any additional advice to help me prepare?

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: 

Are you looking for an internship, or something similar? 

Below are definitions of some other opportunities commonly used to explore your potential career:

  • Experiential Learning - a process through which students develop knowledge, skills and values from direct experiences outside a traditional academic setting. Student work and observation experiences go by a number of different names, including internships, co-ops, practicums and externships.
  • Cooperative Education or Co-op - provides students with multiple periods of work related to the student's major or career goal. The typical program plan is for a student to alternate terms of full-time classroom study with terms of full-time, employment. Since program participation involves multiple work terms, the student will work three or four work terms, gaining a year or more of career-related work experience before graduation. Most co-op positions are paid and acquiring academic credit.
  • Practicum - is generally a one-time work or service experience done by a student as part of an academic class. Some practicums offer pay, but many do not. Almost all are done for academic credit.
  • Externship/Job Shadow - a short (usually 1-5 days) working experience, where the student shadows a working professional to observe and get a preview of the day-to-day activities needed for the career. Externships and job shadowing experiences are generally unpaid and are not related to receiving academic credit.
  • Micro-Internship - a short-term, professional experience that will typically last just a few weeks for the duration of a single project. Typically these experiences are conducted remotely and can be from 5 to 40 hours per week. Such opportunites can be found on Parker Dewey. 

Summer Internship Housing

The Ohio State University Events and Conferences offers a unique 12-week summer housing program for interns, researchers, and other guests from Mid-May through the beginning of August. Participants do not need to be an Ohio State University student to enroll in our Summer Intern Housing Program. In fact, that is why this program exists, to offer affordable, short term housing for students across the world to support their learning at an internship and to support the students of OSU and their internships.

Questions about internships?

If you have a question about internships, contact Buckeye Careers at careerquestions@osu.edu.