The Career Center has an important message for students who have not yet acquired a summer internship: do not panic, time has not run out. Amity Fox ’04, Associate Director of the Career Center, has advice for all students, whether they have already found an internship or are still in the process of searching.

“It’s not too late to find an internship,” said Fox. “There are many students who secure their internships after they leave campus in May, even June. Students do have a little bit of time depending on the industries they are planning to intern with.”

The most important piece of advice Fox gave in terms of looking for an internship is to use all the resources available to students. Resources on campus include opportunities available through the Career Center, jobs and internships that are sent to the school by alumni and parents, the Liberal Arts Career Network (LACN) and other internship specific databases and resources. All of these are included in the weekly intern e-mail sent out by Fox.

According to Fox, through the college databases alone students have access to over 4,000 internship opportunities, which are posted by Dickinson and other schools who are looking for liberal arts students.

“Once you’ve gotten the internship, take it seriously. Meet deadlines, communicate often with your supervisor and with respect, connect with as many people as you can, grab coffee, lunches, connect with people, askquestions and then have fun. It is an opportunity for you to explore a potential career path,” said Fox.

It is important for students to keep in mind that even if the internship is not what was originally expected or desired, the experience is still beneficial: “It’s still a valuable experience for you because it’s helped you to articulate that and decide which direction you want to go in next. Being able to say what you don’t want to do is sometimes half the battle.”

Students who are participating in internships or research experiences this summer are encouraged to complete the Internship Notation Program (INP) or the Scientific Research Notation Program (REXP). In addition to being Dickinson’s official way of recognizing an official internship or research opportunity, Fox added, “It’s a good way to focus on you, your goals, what you’re getting out of the experience and how it relates to your next steps.” Last year, nearly 300 students registered their internships and research experiences.

Students who do not acquire an internship or elect not to register it through the INP or REXP are encouraged to fill out the Summer Experience Survey, which will be e-mailed to all students over the summer. The purpose of the survey is to assist students with alumni connections, provide resources and give the college a sense of where Dickinson students are.

Although many students have already determined where they will be complete summer internships, other students are either unworried or unsure about the process: “As a freshman, it is not stressing me out too much. For at least this coming summer, I think a paid job would be more beneficial. I think probably starting next year I will try to find one though,” said Alicia Bazell.

For Amanda Kale ’17, the search is more stressful: “Honestly, it’s frustrating. I applied to a lot of internships, but they’re pretty competitive, and I felt under-qualified for many of them. Most want research experience, which I don’t have, because no one will give me an internship!”

Helen Schlimm ’17 found her summer job and research position through the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) on campus. Along with applying for and being hired for their summer position, Schlimm will be conducting research in Greenland with a professor this summer. “It is amazing what might come your way if you really try and show people you care about what you’re studying, and it is never too late for new opportunities to unfold,” said Schlimm. Xiang Wei ’17 also secured his internship through campus, by means of an advisor who asked the department for a research opportunity and was granted one.

For further information or advice on how to proceed with the internship search, the Career Center holds internship drop-ins every Wednesday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Biddle House.