Internships

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term work experience that helps you explore a career and gain real world skills while you are still in school.

Internships can be paid or unpaid depending on the industry and last between 1 – 3 months.

Tailor your resume and cover letter for the internship by highlighting relevant skills and experiences.
- Tip: Attend our career drop-in advising hours to receive feedback on your resume or cover letter.
Search and apply for 20-50 internship opportunities through the internship portals below.
- Tip: Schedule a meeting with a career counselor to discuss navigating the internship search process.
Keep track of internship application deadlines and general timelines for your industry.
- Tip: While internships are available year-round, several summer internship applications open August – January.
Build a professional LinkedIn Profile to search for internships, connect with professionals, follow companies you are interested in, and join relevant groups through LinkedIn.
- Tip: Meet with a Career Counselor to receive feedback on your LinkedIn profile and ask how to reach out to professionals.
Ask your network of professional mentors, professors, academic advisors, family members, and alumni if they know of any internship programs.
Prepare for the interview by practicing common interview questions and answering questions using the STAR (situation-task-action-result) method.
- Tip: Schedule a meeting with a career counselor to do a mock interview.

Handshake: an online platform where you can find internships and jobs for UCSD students

Parker Dewey | Micro Internships: find short-term, paid, project-based work experiences

Research Experiential Applied Learning (REAL) Portal: find research internships, academic internship program opportunities, and co-curricular record activities

Academic Internship Program: earn academic credit for paid or unpaid internships

Washington DC Internship Program (UCDC): an academic internship program that allows students to gain experience working in Washington, DC.

UC Center Sacramento Internship Program: intern at the state capitol and gain experience in policy and government

LinkedIn: find internships, part-time, and full-time jobs

Request your internship offer and responsibilities in writing to understand what will be expected of you.

Schedule weekly meetings with your supervisor to discuss your progress. Ask if you are achieving what is expected of you, and what projects you can support with.

Share your internship goals with your supervisor and request to take on projects that align with your interests and strengths.

The quality of your work and your positive attitude matter the most. Go above and beyond what is expected of you.

Network and schedule career conversations with experienced employees to ask about their career journey

Learn the organization’s culture and adapt to it. Your ability to match the work ethic and habits of your coworkers will help secure future letters of recommendation.

Stay in touch with your supervisor after the internship is over. Reach back out to update them on your progress at UC San Diego.

The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that which would be given in an educational environment.
The internship is for the benefit of the trainee.
The intern does not displace regular employees, but work under close observation.
The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded.
The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the completion of the internship.
The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.