Be Prepared

Feel confident and be prepared in locating an internship or job shadowing opportunity.  These resources will help plan and execute this process to take advantage of all that Northeast Florida offers.

To begin, it’s helpful to define an internship or job shadowing opportunity:

Internships (paid and unpaid)

• Intern part or full-time to experience meaningful skill-building opportunities during the school year or the summer months. Internships can range from weeks to months.  Internships allow exposure to an industry and its related work projects and products.  It facilitates interaction with those in the profession who provide guidance and insight.  Internships help build a professional network.  It is recommended to intern within an industry of interest.

Job Shadowing

• Job shadowing involves observing one or multiple roles within an organization to see first-hand what each job entails. This experience typically lasts several hours to several days.  It is recommended to job shadow within an industry of interest.

This means you need to be prepared to learn about the basics of a job.  Also, it gives employers the chance to determine skill and fit. Internships are offered in a variety of formats, but they result in valuable learning and a chance for personal contribution.  Internship applications for spring opportunities are typically released in the fall, so use the tools on Earnup.org to link to company websites in industries such as Technology Services, Construction, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Transportation & Logistics and Advanced Manufacturing.  Follow their respective processes for application.

Being prepared is critical prior to starting one’s internship.  Begin the internship with the mindset that the experience is much like an extended job interview.  In fact, internships in Northeast Florida can sometimes result in full-time employment.  For example, Carolyn O’Neal, Associate Software Engineer at Forcura said, “My internship provided insightful learning and understanding if what it means to be a member of the workforce.  Read her story here.