The Albers Career Center is available to assist you with every step of your job or internship search. The following guides and resources connect you to opportunities and help you streamline your process so it's less overwhelming and achieves results.
Handshake is the premier destination for job and internship opportunities for Seattle University students. Thousands of companies utilize Handshake to post their opportunities across the country. Students can even search on-campus and part-time positions through the system.
Participate in internships to gain hands-on professional experience. Internships are a great way to get a foot in the door with local businesses. The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that 82.5% of employers offer internships and 98% hire from their interns.
For a comprehensive definition and overview of internship, please refer to the NACE Position Statement on U.S. Internships.
Any business student especially those who either do not have work experience or whose work experience is not in the field one hopes to get into after graduation.
Students work alongside the professionals at the business and are mentored by supervisors. Often students are assigned to work on special projects that allow them to put into practice the concepts and theory learned in the classroom. The level of responsibility they enjoy as an intern surprises many students. This opportunity offers much more than a work-study position or part-time job.
What is done during an internship will vary based on the amount of experience you bring to the internship, and your willingness to take on added responsibilities. The assignments vary from internship to internship, but you are encouraged to take on more challenges and responsibilities during each internship.
It is strongly recommended that ALL students complete at least one internship prior to graduation. Most undergraduate students do an internship during their junior or senior year although earlier is definitely a possibility. Internships may be taken for academic credit, but to do so requires that you apply for the credit BEFORE the start of the quarter. Undergraduate credits earned for internships do not meet Business School requirements, but may be used to fulfill general university elective credits.
*Please note: Many internships may not be available to you after you graduate.
Plan early and start early. Be sure that you have a resume and are ready to apply, as some internships are only open for a very short time. Internships with some of the larger employers are recruited for very early in the year, so investigate the hiring process of the companies where you are most interested in interning.
Keep in mind that you should make all arrangements to apply for the credits prior to the start of the quarter. It is against policy to grant academic credit for internship work already completed. Also, you cannot apply for internship credit for your part-time or full-time job.
Undergraduates: May earn 1 - 5 credits for internship. A 1 - 3 credit commitment requires a minimum of 100 hours in a quarter. A 4 - 5 credit commitment requires a minimum of 150 hours in a quarter. The maximum number of credits you can earn for an internship is five (5) credits.
Graduates: May earn 1 - 3 credits for internship. A 1 credit commitment requires a minimum of 100 hours in a quarter. A 2 - 3 credit commitment requires a minimum of 150 hours. The maximum number of credits you can earn for an internship is three (3) credits.
Whether you get paid or not is up to your internship employer. You will be paying for the credits, so being paid by the company, or having them pay for the credits, may help you make this decision.
International Students: International Students may not get paid, with the following exception:
Exception: If your degree requires an internship, then you may get paid by the employer. This is called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). A CPT requires additional paperwork. Please check with our office for more information.
It is recommended that International Students talk with an Albers Career Center Advisor and an International Student Center Advisor before making any decisions about Internships. Call (206) 296-6260 for information.
There are a few employers who require students to receive academic credits for the internship. This is an exception and not the rule. The credits earned for internships go toward your general university electives and not your major. Decide if you will need the credits for graduation before deciding to register for credit.
Just as with any other course attempted, you are required to pay for the credits at the regular tuition rate. There are a few employers who will reimburse you for the amount you pay for the credits, but this is usually instead of offering an hourly wage.
Internships are graded CR (Credit) or F (Fail). The CR grade is not averaged into your GPA and will not contribute toward the 90 credits required for graduating with honors. For more information, see your academic advisor.
In a nutshell, “Experiential Learning” is learning by doing. It is learning something new (a task, skill, etc.) through an experience such as doing a job, working on a research project, completing a case study, and a variety of other methods. It is also a great way to gain valuable experience and develop skills outside of the traditional summer internship experience. Below are a few resources to consider and explore to gain new skills and hopefully learn about the industry in which you want to work.
**Please note that these are all 3rd party vendors. Please do your own due diligence regarding how they use the data you provide when registering for their services.
CareerShift offers a collection of tools for online job hunters, designed to help successfully navigate the published and hidden job. Using a set of integrated tools, job seekers are able to find employment more easily and conveniently. With CareerShift's robust company and contact database, users can find current job connections and make meaningful new contacts.
Congratulations on receiving a job offer! It is important to ask for your offer in writing to ensure that your offer is valid. Do ask for time to think over the offer, unless you are absolutely certain that this is the perfect job for you. Make sure when considering an offer that you look at many aspects of the job: company fit, culture, people you will be working with, skill and experiences you can expect to gain along with salary and benefits.
For the long distance job and internship search, you can access the services of other Jesuit institutions through the Jesuit Career Center Consortium.
For more information or help with the process, please make an appointment with the Director of the Albers Career Center.