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Get experience

Career and Professional Development (CPD) provides information, support, and opportunities for students to seek a variety of types of experience during college.

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    Join the Student Internship and Co-op Network (SICN)

    Undergraduate students seeking experience can join to learn about internship and co-op opportunities, be included in resume books for employers, and more.

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    Job and internship search guide

    Skills and knowledge to interact professionally with employers in your search: ethical conduct, safety, resumes, cover letters, email, interviewing, attire, responding to job offers, and more.

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    Finding internships

    A wide variety of career interests are represented by students at Virginia Tech. And there are a wide array of tools and resources you can tap for seeking internships and other types of experience.

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    Internship central

    Comprehensive guide: terminology, basics, sources for finding internships, presenting yourself professionally while applying, preparing to be successful at work, reflecting on your learning, and communicating your experience to future employers.

Workshops

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    Internship Hot Takes

    Internship Hot Takes are interactive workshops to help in your search for an internship, co-op, or other experience during college. Topics include resumes, preparing for career fairs and interviews, search resources, and more.

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    Skillshop Workshop Series

    Skillshops are a series of workshops to learn ways to develop your professional competencies during your internship, co-op, and other experience during college. You will engage with peers on topics including dress codes, communication skills, and more.

Experience programs offered through CPD

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    Campus internEXP

    Paid, part-time internships for undergraduate students to work for Virginia Tech departments and offices. Students who are hired are enrolled in a zero-credit course for guided learning that appears on your transcript.

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    Cooperative Education and Internship Program (CEIP)

    A work-based experiential learning program for undergraduate students to gain practical, career-related experience while developing professional competencies for career readiness. Full-time and part-time work options available and noted on the official transcript.

More support from CPD

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    Advising

    Advising appointments for Virginia Tech students on career topics; options to meet in person, by phone and by Zoom.

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    Iris professional photo booth

    Students and recent graduates can make an appointment to get a free professional photo to use on your LinkedIn profile (not on your resume!).

Types of experience

  • Employers value a variety of experience that you accumulate during college, and prior to college, where relevant.
  • Types of experience vary by career goal and major. Not every experience is labeled an internship.
  • Set a goal to get more than one type of experience.
  • First year is not too early to start! Look for volunteer work, a part-time or summer job that will be a stepping stone to your next experience.
  • We can help you navigate the search process through advising.
  • Externships can be a bridge between exploring career options and getting a look at a real world environment. They may be short-term or long-term in duration: a few hours to a few days, or perhaps a few hours per week over a semester or year (similar to an internship). The extern would have a pre-arranged time to spend at a work environment to watch and learn from people in the career field or type of work environment.
  • Individuals and organizations who host externs are contributing their valuable time to give you a free learning experience. Typically you neither receive compensation nor do you pay for the learning experience. Externships are mostly for the purpose of learning more about a career field or work environment, but if you make a very good impression on the people you meet, it could open the door to another experience (internship, co-op, summer job, etc.) later.
  • Some organizations specifically advertise externships. However, students may take the initiative to arrange an externship by contacting organizations and personnel.
  • There are similarities between externships and shadowing; so sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
  • Shadowing, like externships, can be a bridge between exploring career options and getting a look at a real world environment. Shadowing refers to spending time with a professional on the job for the purpose of observing and learning.
  • Shadowing could be a one-time experience for a few hours or a day; or it could be a multiple-session experience over a span of time.
  • Shadowing does not involve doing work-related tasks because the shadower does not have the qualifications. Shadowing could involve being present during client or patient interactions, so requires a high level of professional behavior. Shadowing is often done by students who wish to enter a medical profession; the student would observe a physician or physical therapist or other health professional to learn how they interact with patients.
  • Shadowing could be done in any career setting in which the the professional would permit this, and in which rules of confidentiality would not be violated.
  • Students who wish to shadow must take the initiative to contact professionals and request to shadow. The professional is doing a favor to allow a student to shadow; the professional would have no need to advertise this and the professional receives no benefit other than the satisfaction of helping to educate a potential future professional.
  • There are similarities between externships and shadowing; so sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
  • Internships are usually one-term experiences and are often in the summer, though not always.
  • Internships can be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time. These factors vary by career field and employer.
  • Internship eligibility varies by employer — some offer internships with applications open to first-year students; others may require a different academic level.
  • See internship central for more information.
  • Note that academic credit can only be granted by an academic department, and involves paying tuition. You should make yourself aware of opportunities and requirements in your academic department.
  • For non-academic-credit internships for undergraduates, there are enrollment options for students through the undergraduate Cooperative Education and Internship Program (CEIP).
  • In CPD, we offer opportunities for undergraduate students to gain paid, career-related experience through our Peer Career Advisor program. Qualified graduate students may gain experience through practica and internships or through our graduate assistantship.
  • Campus internEXP are opportunites for paid part-time internships for undergraduate students to work for Virginia Tech offices.
  • Co-op is short for cooperative education. At Virginia Tech, our program for undergraduate students is called CEIP, which stands for Cooperative Education and Internship Program which is for undergraduate students.
  • There are enrollment options for undergraduate students who have part-time or full-time work, and paid or unpaid positions. Learn more about the undergraduate Cooperative Education and Internship Program (CEIP).
  • For graduate students: The Graduate School administers cooperative education for graduate students. We suggest searching the Graduate School website because the web URL for this program has changed periodically.
  • Volunteering can be a great way to get a foot in the door of an organization or career field. You can do volunteer work as an individual, or as part of a club or organization.
  • Volunteering can develop skills and experience that you can list on your resume and thus can be a stepping stone to help you get other kinds of experience. Volunteering shows initiative; always a good thing.
  • Volunteering has intrinsic value and can be a source of personal reward. It is also viewed positively by future employers. Consider both the amount of time and your responsibilities in your volunteer work. A volunteer position that spans a semester or a year or longer, involves several hours per week, and allows for increasing responsibility could be just as beneficial as another experience that is labelled as an internship. This will depend on the career field and the nature and scope of your work.
  • Field study is typically done through your academic department, for academic credit, and is sometimes required for certain majors. Consult your academic department within your college to see if field studies are offered or required.
  • Field study typically involves direct hands-on experience in a work environment related to your major. There may be structured academic assignments in addition to the hands-on work.
  • Search the Virginia Tech website for "field study" and you'll find links to field study information for a variety of majors and colleges.
  • Undergraduate research could be a one-on-one arrangement between you and a faculty member, usually in your academic department, that might be for academic credit. There are also publicized undergrad research programs in the university. Additionally, organizations external to the university, such as research centers, offer undergraduate research opportunities.
  • How to find opportunties:
    • The Office of Undergraduate Research at Virginia Tech is a comprehensive resource for Virginia Tech students.
    • Professors might advertise undergraduate research opportunities, but don't wait for this to happen. You can take the initiative to approach professors whose research topics interest you.
    • Read the websites of your college and your academic department.
    • External to the university: Research centers (which could be independent or affiliated with other universities, government, nonprofit, and/or for profit organizations) also offer undergraduate research opportunities. Watch for information in your academic department and take initiative to seek opportunties related to your interests.
  • Why it's important: Undergraduate research is strongly recommended for students who are thinking about applying to graduate school. It is also excellent experience for students who are not considering graduate school.
  • Part-time and summer work can be important ways to get experience.
  • A job does not have to be labelled as an internship or co-op to be valuable.
  • The value can hinge on a variety of things: relevance to your career field or industry, the skills you develop, and the level of responsibility you earn.
  • A job does not have to be glamorous to be important. Employers value applicants who have demonstrated a good work ethic, including showing up to work responsibly, getting along with coworkers, dealing with customers, taking initiative, and willingness to work hard, and to observe and learn.
  • These experiences can be stepping stones to your next experience.
  • Leadership in student and community organizations is viewed very favorably by employers, and can be an essential qualification for certain types of work and career paths.
  • You don't have to be a club president to be a leader. You could be volunteer recruiter, the fundraising chair, an event planner, or budget manager. The important things are what you accomplish, what you learn (including from mistakes!), and the skills you use and develop.
  • Look for depth. Get involved and take on a role, serve on a committee, run a project or event, or be an officer. Go beyond simply joining many things. If you graduate having only "member of...," "member of...," repeated on your resume, that won't look substantive.

We survey new Virginia Tech graduates to learn their first destination after the undergraduate degree. We ask if they had the following types of experience during college, and to check all that apply.

Universitywide (from recent reports):

  • 20-25% volunteering
  • 30-35% part-time job
  • 29-45% summer job
  • 14-15% unpaid internship
  • 47-53% paid internship
  • 5% co-op
  • 19-21% undergraduate research
  • 9-10% field study

For majors and colleges: