Internships are key to Wesleyan’s four-year career development plan, From Here to Career, as they allow our students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom in the workforce setting. As well as giving employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent, internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and to make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths.
Internships, whether virtual or in-person, should create and deliver a well-balanced experience for students, allowing them to learn about an organization, focus on professional development, and engage in meaningful projects and work that will help to develop their overall ability to become a valuable team member in the future. Internships should:
Be an environment where students can ask questions about the work, field, or career paths.
Be educationally enriching projects that outline responsibilities and involve mentoring, quality training, supervision, and evaluation.
Allow for regular meetings for the supervisor to provide performance feedback.
Keep clerical work to a minimum. 75% of the assignments should involve autonomous projects with progressively increasing levels of responsibility so that students can demonstrate their initiative and problem-solving skills.
As a liberal arts college, Wesleyan teaches students how to think critically and how to see things as a whole. As a result, our students develop a wide range of skills and knowledge throughout their college experiences. In addition to a robust curriculum, Wesleyan students learn to incorporate six key skills which are invaluable for success in careers and in life - professional communication; data-informed decision making; creative problem-solving; inclusive teamwork; change management; and civic/community engagement and service. This combination of academics and crucial skill development equips Wesleyan students with a unique perspective that makes them highly competitive and successful in any field they choose. Wesleyan students are available for internships during the summer months and during both fall and spring semesters. Hire a Wesleyan College intern and see for yourself!
For more information on Wesleyan’s KEY Internship Program, contact Ivy Word, director of career development, at iword@wesleyancollege.edu or (478) 757-5224.