Career & Tools
Did you miss our graduate student internship panel on February 15? Don't worry! We've made a recap of their valuable advice on the usefulness of having internship experiences while in graduate school. Read on and consider applying to the Graduate Student Internship Fellowship and get up to $2,500 to help fund your internship.
On February 15, five graduate students shared insights and advice on the benefits of having internship experiences while in graduate school. They shared the importance of building your network and how internships provide great opportunities to do so, and how they also allow you to fill gaps in your skills to better prepare you to enter the job market. While in their internships, several panelists were grateful for the strong research and writing skills they had developed as graduate students, which transferred well to their varied internship settings. They also shared insight on being persistent when looking for opportunities and how to discuss taking time for internships with your advisor. If you are interested in pursing your own internship, see details below about the Graduate Student Internship Fellowship.
Here are key pieces of advice from each panelist:
Jaclyn Avallone, Materials Department
"I got a good feeling for how the R&D team works at this company, which helped confirm/disprove my preconceived notions of industry as a PhD. Stepping away from my project/"expertise" to learn something new helped build confidence in my abilities, which is extremely helpful for career shopping/prep."
Melissa Barthelemy, History and Public History Department
"If you can tie your internship to your professional goals, your academic work, and your personal interests it is a recipe for success and emotional well-being."
David Hwang, Materials Department
"Before my internship, I was unsure how the skills I developed in graduate school would translate into my career. This internship showed me some neat applications of what I've learned and re-motivated my research."
Sarah Lerner, Film and Media Studies Department
"The internship enabled me to understand how to apply the research and writing skills I have to another type of job. It enriched my understanding of the work museums do as public institutions and how curators think about and plan exhibitions. Further, it taught me how to write to the museum-going public-a skill that I will cherish because it translates to curatorial and public programming endeavors of all types."
Rebecca Reitz, Materials Department
"It had a dramatic impact on the way I thought about my priorities for my future career and life. The lessons that I learned that summer have been critical to my current decision making and I'm really grateful that I learned those lessons in the structured setting of an internship."
Thank you to all of our panelists, and for the attendees who asked thoughtful questions!
If you have follow-up questions, or would like guidance on incorporating an internship experience into your time in graduate school, don't hesitate to reach out to the Graduate Career Counselor, Lana Smith-Hale!
If you are interested in getting funding (up to $2,500) for an internship, check out the Graduate Student Internship Fellowship program.
To apply, fill out the application due March 11.
Email Lana.Smith-Hale@sa.ucsb.edu âwith any questions.