Internships with Alumni

Interested in giving back by sharing your work experience? Curious about how these Central connections get made? If so, offering a Central student an internship in your workplace may be the “job” for you.

Jessica Klyn de Novelo ‘05, associate director of community-based learning, is the campus liaison between students looking for internships and employers seeking interns. Internships with alumni are especially sought after, she says.

“We appreciate all alumni connections. Internships in particular give students the opportunity to see a Central education in action and help them gain professional skills. The Central alumni network is very powerful, so the connections are often lasting and strong,” Klyn de Novelo says.

An internship may be one or two days per week during the academic term for four to six hours per day; others may be 15 hours per week; most summer internships are full time. Internships may be paid or unpaid, depending on the nature of the employer; however, all offer the opportunity for students to gain valuable skills and earn college credit.

“We recognize the effort that goes into sharing expertise, training and supervising an intern,” Klyn de Novelo says. “The scope of the internship and time commitment can be negotiated between the internship supervisor and the student.”

Central encourages students to seek internships, and 76 percent complete at least one internship by graduation. Some majors offer the option to complete graduation requirements through an internship. All fields are welcome to be added to the list of available openings.

Project-oriented internships are especially encouraged, Klyn de Novelo explains. “Projects allow a student to see the process through from start to finish and have an outcome to show for their work.” And the organization benefits too — gaining fresh perspectives and energy.

More information about internships can be found here. Central’s internship office sends regular emails to students that list opportunities from alumni as well as businesses and non-profits.

Central alumni interested in sponsoring an internship should contact Klyn de Novelo to discuss options: 641-628-7600. They can also check out the employer access page.

To encourage serious, intellectual discourse on Civitas, please include your first and last name when commenting. Anonymous comments will be removed.

Comments are closed.