Get Experience
Getting experience during college is an important part of a students career development journey at Virginia Tech! In fact, it is the #1 things that employers look for in a candidate’s resume to demonstrate their ability to do the job. However, gaining experience goes beyond building a resume. Getting experience can also help:
- Develop career readiness through the 7 Professional Competencies – These are critical transferrable skills that can be applied across industry, field and job title.
- Gain job specific skills – Through project work and industry exposure students will develop the skills that they need to be competitive in the job market.
- Build professional networks – Connections made during career related experiences can lead to valuable professional relationships and even future employment opportunities.
- Boost confidence – Real-world exposure makes the transition to full-time work smoother and develops a better understanding of workplace expectations.
- Explore career interests – Gaining experience clarifies what students enjoy (or don’t) in a field.
CPD’s Experiential Learning Programs
Campus internEXP
This is a on-campus paid internship program for undergraduate students. This program allows students the opportunity to work with departments across campus to develop professional skills through career-related projects.
Cooperative Education and Internship Program (CEIP)
This program is available to undergraduate students, from any major, who want to gain professional work experience in their career field while working full-time or part-time in paid or unpaid, semester long co-op or internship positions.
Need help finding an experience?
Internship Hot Takes
Looking to ignite your search for an internship or co-op? Attend one of our interactive Internship Hot Takes workshops! Each semester in these workshops we will work together to tackle topics like resumes, preparing for career fairs and interviews, and what internship search resources are available to you as students.
Student Internship and Co-op Network (SICN)
This network is designed for students who are actively looking for their next experience. Through this network, students have access to professional development opportunities, employer events, and more.
Looking for ways to develop your skills and make the most out of your experience?
Skillshops
Through our Skillshop Series you will learn new ways to develop, practice, and build confidence in the 7 Professional Competencies for career readiness while gaining the professional edge in your career. Dive deeper into these critical career skills to successfully transition into the workplace and meet employer expectations.
Get Career Ready
Career readiness is the awareness and development of the skills students need to confidently and successfully meet employer expectations and transition into the workplace. By participating in experiences that help you become career ready, you will develop your professional edge.
Other resources to help you find an experience
Ut Prosim Internship Support Fund
Financial support for unpaid and underpaid internships in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Undergraduate students from any academic major at Virginia Tech may apply for funds to support unpaid or underpaid internships with companies or organizations within the Commonwealth of Virginia that directly contribute to the public good, regardless of industry. Preference will be given to students working in non-profit organizations, non-governmental agencies, companies/organizations located in rural southwest Virginia.
Students may receive financial assistance for up to $5,000. Students must demonstrate that their ability to participate in the work-based learning experience is highly contingent upon receiving financial support. Funds may be used for: tuition, transportation costs, housing and moving expenses, required equipment or uniforms, etc.
Experiential Learning at Virginia Tech
An important part of a Virginia Tech student’s educational experience, experiential learning is a hands-on approach to education that allows students to apply classroom learning to real-world work environments through learning, reflection and connection to future career goals. Types of experiential learning may include internships, research, service learning, and study abroad that intentionally provide opportunities for reflection on learning. This helps students develop the 7 Professional Competencies that are essential for career readiness, build a resume, make valuable professional connections and more. By engaging in experiential learning, students are better prepared for job opportunities after graduation and stand out in a competitive job market.
Virginia Tech’s Bridge Experience Program
Bridge experiences help prepare students for post-graduation life and develop a professional identity. They offer opportunities to apply specific disciplinary knowledge to contemporary problems and questions, and they often take place in a professional environment, during the final years of a student’s academic journey. Students may be engaged in several intensive experiential learning opportunities during their time at Virginia Tech, but a bridge opportunity is one that a student designates as likely to help them move into specific post-graduation plans. Typical bridge experiences include undergraduate research, internships, and other place-based experiences.
