A new website created by New York state has made the process of applying for internships simpler and more efficient for SUNY students.
The site, www.nysinternships.com, allows students to apply for multiple project-based, semester-long internships using only one application and resume. In order to become eligible for the website, applicants must submit an official transcript showing that they are a full-time SUNY student and proof of U.S. citizenship.
The user-friendly layout includes tabs on the sidebar that gives students the option to search for internships based on the semester they wish to intern, the location of the internship site, the agency that is hosting the internship, and desired degrees or occupations. Summer internships are listed separately along with an agency directory.
After students submit their applications, the selection process begins with an initial round of “first cuts” during which applicants who are not qualified are eliminated from the list of possible candidates. The list is then narrowed down further through a series of phone or webcam interviews, and the remaining few are granted face-to-face interviews at the internship site.
“Cast the widest net you can,” said Plattsburgh State Career Development Center Director Julia Overton-Healy. “Keep your options open when building your network.”
Overton-Healy said she believes the new website is beneficial to students because it goes hand in hand with the other services provided on campus to help students prepare for the careers that lie ahead of them. Other programs available to PSUC, like Cardinal Connections, also allow students to interact with PSUC alumni and to learn from their experiences.
The Career Development Center is also in the process of working with local businesses to create more internships closer to the PSUC campus, in order to eliminate the need for students to pay for public transportation or to have their own vehicle. These local internships will start to be offered this upcoming spring semester.
The majority of the internships offered last for one semester, and some allow for the possibility of earning money or credit.
“It is important that you work with your faculty supervisor,” Overton-Healy said. “If you want to earn credit, they are absolutely necessary.”
Despite the vast variety of internships available, each one will help students hone the critical skills necessary to be successful in future jobs, Overton-Healy said.
“It’s about marketing yourself in a way to say, ‘I’m what you’re looking for.’”
Email Thomas Marble
at thomas.marble@cardinal
pointsonline.com
Wow, I finally found a niche site that actually knows what they’re talking about.