Internships & Co-Ops
Internships & Co-Ops
Internships differ from co-ops in that they tend to be shorter term (typically 1-3 months) - often full time over the summer or part-time during the school year. Internships can be unpaid or paid positions and provide an opportunity to build on hard skills and soft skills. Co-ops, in contrast, are ongoing work experiences - often 3-12 months in length. Both internships and co-ops can, in some cases, transition to full-time jobs. Typically, internships and co-ops are offered by companies and organizations for undergrad/grad students or postdocs (but not always) to obtain entry-level exposure to a industry or field, as well as knowledge about the work environment and co-workers.
Finding an Internship or Co-Op
Finding an internship or co-op is much like finding a job. Professional networking via the Hub Network is an excellent means of identifying internship or co-op opportunities. It is also straightforward to use the job search engines on the Jobs webpage, e.g., NLx, LinkedIn, Indeed, etc., and include "internship" or "co-op" in the job search.
Just Ask
In many cases, an internship or co-op position may not exist, but can be created. METConn Hub events/activities provide opportunities to directly meet and speak with those working in nearby companies. Additionally, the Contact Us webpages for the Hubs can be used to connect. Asking about an internship or co-op opportunity can potentially open up new doors.
Resources
