Still Looking for an Internship?

Once you’ve been approved for internship eligibility it can be stressful trying to find and secure an internship. One good thing about securing an internship is that you don’t need to secure one until the first day of the semester you’re interning. This means, if you don’t yet have an internship, you have all of winter break to find one.

The process of finding an internship can be overwhelming, so here it’ll be broken down to ensure you have less stress when you’re out searching. First, you must find internship opportunities. This blog and the @ npcommedia Instagram are great places to find an internship. The internship coordinator and team receive many opportunities that are quickly shared on the blog and Instagram, so these places are great resources for finding internships in a timely fashion.

Another place to find internships is The Big List. The Big List is where all past internships that students in the CMM and DMJ departments have previously interned. There is a plethora of on campus, local, and NYC internships to suit any type of internship you’re looking for. One feature this list offers, that other sources don’t directly offer, is a connection. Because past New Paltz students have interned with these people before, the internship coordinator of the organization may be more inclined to respond to, interview, stay in contact with, or even offer an internship to someone because of prior connections.

Some websites that post job/internship listings are Handshake (formerly HawkHire – can be found on my.newpaltz.edu under the “Employment Resources” tab), Indeed, and more. These sites include listings placed directly from the organization itself. The bulletin boards in CSB and the Congrats email you receive once you complete internship eligibility are also good places to look for internships or can direct you to other places to look.

Once you have narrowed down the internship you are interested in, reach out. Some organizations have an email you can reach out to apply, or they have a formal application. Most listings on the Instagram and Blogs have the method of contact listed and The Big List does as well.

Once you’ve applied, all you have to do is wait. You may get an offer right away, but more likely than not you will have to interview. Make sure to dress nice, if it’s over video chat make sure to be in a tidy and quiet location, and bring your most professional self.

Once you have secured a spot with the organization, read this blog to determine what to do next. Good luck with all future internship endeavors and be sure to reach out to Internship Coordinator Nancy Heiz if you have any questions.

Internship Eligibility: The Next Steps after Approval

Congratulations, you’ve been approved for internship eligibility! So.. what comes next?

Step 1. You’ll want to make sure that you have the “CONGRATS!” email that you were sent confirming your approval. This email contains important links with registration instructions. You’ll be looking at this email often, so you’ll want to pin it or send it to your favorites. 

Step 2. Now that you’ve been certified eligible to intern, you are now approved to find an internship. To find an internship, you’ll want to…

Step 3. Once you have found an internship you are interested in, reach out to internship coordinator Nancy Heiz for internship approval. 

Step 4. After Nancy has approved your internship, fill out the Registration Permission Request Form. This form will allow you to register for credits. THIS MUST BE DONE BY THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEMESTER you are interning. Note that Internship registration is separate from course registration on your time assignment, and you must register for the internship credits. 

Step 5. Download the Internship Agreement Form to fill out with your supervisor and submit via the Internship Seminar Brightspace by the first week of classes.  

Step 6. Congratulations, you have completed the internship process! 

Internship Eligibility: The Next Steps

Eligible But Haven’t Found an Internship? Don’t Worry! Internship Registration is Separate from Class Registration

Once you have been approved for internship eligibility you have until the first day of the semester that you are interning to find an internship. There is no need to rush and find an internship by class registration. If you are worried about not being considered a full-time student, you can add a class into your schedule and then drop it once you have secured an internship. Our department grants students permission to register for internship credits once you have found a placement and that placement has been approved… If this is your first internship, you will register for internship credits and the Internship Seminar, both of which are restricted to Permission of Instructor and listed on the schedule as “FULL” because our department protects the seats, so students go through the required approval process. To register for an internship, follow the steps in the “Congrats Email” that has been, or will be, sent to you once you’ve been approved for internship eligibility.

Here are other guidelines:

  • You may NOT register until you have actually secured an internship that has been approved by the Internship Coordinator.
  • The deadline to find, get approval, and register for internship credits is the FIRST DAY OF CLASSES. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS ALLOWED.
  • You must be aware of the number of credits and hours required to earn the credits. The Seminar (DMJ or CMM491) is a 1-credit course. Legislative Gazette interns must take the Seminar. 
  • If your internship falls through, you will need to find an alternate placement. Contact the Internship Coordinator immediately if this happens. (If you remain registered for the internship credits but don’t complete it, you will earn an “F” for the credits, which will affect your GPA.)

Have any questions that are not answered in the “Congrats Email” or in the Internship Eligibility folder? Then see Nancy Heiz, Internship Coordinator. Need help finding an internship? Check out this video here!

Transfers: Register for Internship Eligibility Once You Have 30 New Paltz Credits

Transfer students, you should apply for internship eligibility once you have 30 New Paltz credits. Applying for internship eligibility means you must be approved to earn credits for any internship you complete, before you complete it. In order to do a required internship for credits you must be certified eligible. Although you only have to be certified one semester before, we recommend you get certified ASAP. Once you are eligible you remain eligible until you graduate (unless your GPA drops below a 2.5). Here are the minimum requirements to be certified as eligible to earn internship credits.

  • 2.5 GPA
  • 18 credits in your major (can be in progress)
  • 60 total credits
  • 30 credits at SUNY New Paltz (can be in progress)

To start officially applying, read the Internship Information Packet here! It may seem like a lot of information, but don’t be alarmed, most of the information is probably stuff you already know so just make sure you refresh yourself with the info before you apply. Once you have read and understood the Info Packet you can fill out the application here. In this application you will; answer some simple questions about your understanding of the process and preferences you may have for your internship. You will submit a resume and progress report. Read the linked articles to ensure you have properly formatted your resume and progress report. The last question on the application will ask if you want to receive SMS texts about your status of eligibility. We highly encourage you to add your number so you can be the most up to date on your status and new information.

If any part of this application is confusing or you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Nancy Heiz at heizn@newpaltz.edu (please make sure to include your Banner number in your correspondence). We do ask that you read the information packet in its entirety before reaching out as your question most likely will be answered there.

Remember CMM majors are not required to do an internship, but if you want to earn credits for an internship, you must follow this process.

Is Your Resume Ready?

When you apply for internship eligibility, an updated resume is required. The qualifications for your resume are:

  • 1-page
  • Single sided
  • No listed home street address

If your resume doesn’t include relevant information or it needs a bit of work, your application could be held for review. Here are some tips for a successful resume:

  • Includes ONLY relevant information – education, experience, skills and coursework
  • In the education section, order schools reverse-chronologically (College, then High School)
  • Don’t clutter it – leave white space
  • Make it well organized

If you are still having trouble putting together a resume or you want someone to look it over, the Career Resource Center offers great resume help.

Remember to Submit Your Application for Internship Eligibility!

The application for internship eligibility is easier and better than ever before! First, before you apply, make sure you are qualified to apply for eligibility. Here is the check list:

  • 60+ total credits
  • 30+ credits at New Paltz (1 year residency)
  • 18+ credits in the major
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA

Once you are qualified you can begin the application. Remember, this application is a one-time deal, which means once you are approved you can intern any semester thereafter (as long as your GPA doesn’t drop below a 2.5). 

Continue reading

What To Do Once You Have Been Approved for Internship Eligibility

Once you’ve been certified eligible to intern you may find an internship (in order to graduate you must intern at least one semester). When you do this there are a few steps you have to take. First, when you are approved you will be sent a congrats email/text, make sure you not only read the email but also to save it, you will need to reference it later The congrats email has all the steps and resources you need to find and secure an internship.  Here are a few resources for where to go from here. Continue reading

Juniors and Sophomores, Get Ahead!

Juniors and Sophomores! Even though you have some time, you should start to think about when you want to complete your internship. You could always start the process today by making sure you’re eligible for an internship. Applying for internship eligibility is required at least one semester before you start looking for an internship placement. However, once you are certified eligible, you remain eligible until graduation as long as your GPA doesn’t drop below a 2.5. Remember, there are no retroactive credits given for an internship, which means you must be approved to earn credit before you get approval to do an internship. It’s worth it to get approved sooner than later, just to ensure you have time. Continue reading