Create your Own Internship

Here are the steps on how to Build Your Own Internship.

Do research to identify Areas of Interest
Build a Semester or year long internship experience with your College and Career Counselor.
This internship experience will include the following Steps Below.

Step 1: Take a Career Assessment

1. Go to Career Coach DC to take a Career Assessment to see what career fields match some of the things that you like to do.

Step 2: Organize Your Time Appropriately

1. You will do Volunteer Work in your field of interest that should be at least 40 hours per semester
  1. 1. Figure out what days and times you can commit to this internship/volunteer experience.
    2. This is not a PAID internship.
    3. This is an opportunity to you to learn professional skills and learn more about what types of jobs are out there.

Step 3: Conduct Online Research of the field you are interested.

1. 1. 1. You can do research on Career Coach DC where you can "Browse Careers" or "Browse Programs".
      1. Answer the Following Questions:
        What is the median/average salary?
        How many job openings are their currently in the DC area?
        What are 3 daily tasks that these people do?
        What degree to the majority of people have that work this job?
        What are 5 skills that employers are looking for?
        Of those 5 skills, which 3 are you most interested in learning about through internship or volunteer experience?
        What are 3 companies in the DC Area that offer this type of job?
        What are some different Job Titles for this type of job?

1. 1. 1. Secondly, you should research the company and person whom you plan to do the Informational Interview with (see more below).

Step 4: Prepare for and Complete an Informational Interview of Two Professionals working in that field.

Email or Call to Request an Informational Interview to learn more about what type of work they do.

Before you send your email, you should research the company and ensure you send your request to the correct person. You can review their website to gather information you can use during your interview. If you’re requesting an informational interview to learn more about a specific role, make sure you have the correct email address for the employee. For informational interviews about the company, you may need to send an email to a general human resources email address. Performing some research and sending the email to the right person can help the process move quickly.
Script/Email Template

Subject: [Your name]—informational interview request

Dear [Name of recipient],

I am __________ and I am in the ____Grade at HD Woodson High School in Washington, DC. [Write how you heard about the company or recipient]. I find the work you perform incredibly interesting and would like to know more about what you do.

I would greatly appreciate learning about [insert what you want to know].

I know you’re probably busy, but would you be available for an informational interview [suggest at least one date and time]? Let me know if you can meet at one of those times or if there’s a better time for you.

I appreciate your time and thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Here are some questions you can ask during your Informational Interview

1. What are your main responsibilities as a...?
2. What is a typical day (or week) like for you?
3. What do you like most about your work?
4. What do you like least about your work?
5. What kinds of problems do you deal with?
6. What kinds of decisions do you make?
7. How does your position fit within the organization/career field/industry?
8. How does your job affect your general lifestyle?
9. What current issues and trends in the field should I know about/be aware of?
10. What are some common career paths in this field?
11. What kinds of accomplishments tend to be valued and rewarded in this field?
12. What related fields do you think I should consider looking into?
13. How did you become interested in this field?
14. How did you begin your career?
15. How do most people get into this field? What are common entry-level jobs?
16. What steps would you recommend I take to prepare to enter this field?
17. How relevant to your work is your undergraduate major?
18. What kind of education, training, or background does your job require?
19. What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in your job/this field?
20. What is the profile of the person most recently hired at my level?
21. What are the most effective strategies for seeking a position in this field?
22. Can you recommend trade journals, magazines or professional associations which would be helpful for my professional development?
23. If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?
24. I’ve read that the entry-level salary range for this field is usually in the range of ______? Does this fit with what you’ve seen? (Don’t ask about the person’s actual salary.)
25. What advice would you give someone who is considering this type of job (or field)?
26. Can you suggest anyone else I could contact for additional information?

Step 5: complete 4 Professional Development Workshops

Resume Building

Go to this link or watch the video above to learn about Resume Creation.
Complete a draft of your Resume using the Career Coach DC.

Professional Communication 1

Go to this link to complete the Professional Skills Workshop.
Answer these questions as a part of your Exit Ticket.

Professional Communication 2

Go to this link to complete the Professional Skills Workshop.
Answer these questions as a part of your Exit Ticket.

Mock Interview

Watch this interview preparation Video.
Email your College and Career Coordinator to set up a Mock Interview.