Looking around, trying to figure out what documents to prepare and who to talk to, employees from the BYU–Hawaii Career Center shared their tips and advice for how to successfully apply for and obtain an internship.
The Career Center, now located at the Cannon Activities Center, offers services such as helping students register for internships, creating resumes, writing cover letters, holding mock interviews and conducting personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test.
Florence Farnsworth, a volunteer missionary from Utah, said, “If somebody wants to know how to write a resume, we are happy to help them. We take models and show them how to do that. If they haven’t had any work experience, we still can help them from just the volunteer things they’ve done, the things that they have worked just even growing up [and]help them make a resume.”
The Career Center provides brochures for students based on what they need to know. If they need to meet with a mentor and talk about applying for an internship, they have a guide that students can follow to help them throughout the process.
Steps:
1. Map out your internship with your academic advisor.
2. Meet with your internship coordinator. Get approval and work on objectives.
3. Get hired. (Get offer letter and MOU – this is sent to you by the internship provider)
4. Apply on Handshake.
5. Get approval on the Academic Internship Approval Form (Found under experience on Handshake)
6. Meet with your relationship manager for funding and airfare.
Tita Mongan, a sophomore from Indonesia studying communication, explained, “They have to talk to their internship coordinator. Every department has one. They have to ask whether their internship will be counted as an academic internship or not and whether it will be counted as credits or not. After that, they have to find their own job.”
According to the Career Center, if a student is planning to do their internship somewhere in Asia or the Pacific, they can apply for Yamagata funding. This scholarship can provide some financial support as well as airfare as students go on their internships.
Mongan shared, “The amount of the funding depends on how long you’re doing the internship for. We encourage students to do it earlier because once it’s all settled – once they are registered, then they can process the funding. They will meet with one of the managers to get the funding.”
Hyrum Portugal, a career mentor from the Philippines, said it’s important to prepare months in advance for applying for an internship. “There might be changes in the process, or there might be some things that will hinder you so, as much as possible, you have more time allowance to make the necessary preparation for your internship.”
Felmar Bagol, an alumnus from the Philippines, shared a four tips for students that he learned while he was applying for his internship a few years ago.
“First, expand your connections. Second, plan and prepare ahead of time. Third, save money. Fourth, find an internship that will help you build your skills and your resume.” •
To get a headstart on an internship, visit the Career Center in the CAC.
Writer: Esther Insigne