Frequently Asked Questions

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Where do I start?

The best way to start is to determine your areas of interest. By completing the following questions, you will develop a better idea on what you might want in an internship.

1. What is your first choice as to where you would like to work?

The obvious choice would be close to home because you could stay with your guardians and not have to pay for food, rent, etc.  However, in a lot of cases, there are not many chances for internships close to home.  Therefore, you might consider other locations where you could stay with friends, relatives, or other acquaintances so living expenses could be shared.  Why not identify below a few areas that are not in your home town as possibilities?

Alternative #1: ________________________

Alternative #2: ________________________

Please consider exploring these alternatives even if there are internships close to home.  As a liberal-arts college student, broadening your horizons is always a good idea!

2. How many hours per week would you want to work? ____________

3. Do you need to be paid for these hours?   ______ Yes   ______ No. 

    If yes, what is the minimum hourly wage desired? $ _______

4. Do you want academic credit?   ______ Yes   _______ No. 

If yes, reexamine the form in Appendix A much more closely and begin thinking about an academic advisor.  We will discuss this Appendix in greater detail later.  It really is not as complicated as it looks!

5. What, in general, would you like to be doing during the internship?  Oh, no! The hardest question of them all!  You really need to focus and write a description of the internship you are seeking.  For instance, you might write:

“I would like an internship where I could pursue my interest in sales for a pharmaceutical company.”

“As a history major, I would like to work for a museum or a historical preservation society.”

You will notice that at this point, you are not writing a complete job description because you probably have no idea what a pharmaceutical sales representative really does, or for that matter, what specific tasks need to be accomplished at a particular museum or historical preservation society. The fine details will be worked out between you and the organization once they have an interest in you and they have identified specific tasks to be completed.  If you look in Appendix A at the bottom of p. 28, you will notice # 3) the amount and type of work to be done.  This is where your proposal (if seeking academic credit) will become very specific. Please review the entire page for other specific requirements when seeking credit.  Once you are finished, please turn to p. 29 for more information and signatures that will be required. 

Do not sweat the details now, because they will evolve as you progress through the internship process.  However, you are not completely off the hook!  Why?  Because it is now your time to answer the following question:

What, in general, would you like to do during the internship?

So we are not accused of stifling your creativity, you could add specifics if you already know them. Remember, you probably do not know at this point the specific job description so it is perfectly acceptable to not fill in the following lines, at least for now:

YIKES ! ! !  What if you want an internship, but have no idea in what area?  Is all lost?  Absolutely not! ! !  You might begin with a visit to the Office of Career Services, Internships and Leadership Development, where they have personal assessment tests that measure your likes, dislikes, and career interests. Another idea would be to think about what class or classes you have really enjoyed so far at Muskingum and then ask some of your professors if they know of any internship opportunities.  Or, why not make an appointment with Jackie Vascura, Director of Career Services; Rebecca Delo, Assistant Dean for Student Life; or Professor Drubel, Special Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs to help you explore possible internship interests you might not even know you have!