Exploring Internships

When employers are deciding between candidates who are otherwise equally qualified for the same position, having an internship is the top deciding factor. Regardless of whether the candidate has interned with the hiring organization or within the industry, this factor makes or breaks the hiring choice. NACE Job Outlook 2024 

Finding Internships

  1. Speak with the degree program’s Internship Coordinator to learn about internship opportunities and application details.
  2. Access and regularly check BengalLink, CAPE’s online job posting system, for posted internship opportunities.
  3. Regularly check CareerShift, a job search platform supported by CAPE, to identify additional internship opportunities.
  4. Utilize Linkedin to find internship opportunities and research organizations to learn about internship opportunities.
  5. Identify industry employers and professional organizations and check the careers section of their website for internships.
  6. Need help sorting through it all?  Make an appointment with CAPE for additional help to organize a structured internship search.

Affording an Internship

  • Ideally, an internship is a paid opportunity to learn in a specific industry and gain marketable skills.  Under current Federal law, non-profit organizations and government agencies do not legally have to pay their interns. If a for-profit organization is the primary beneficiary of having an intern, they are required by law to pay their interns.
  • If an internship opportunity is unpaid, consider asking about stipends, help with transportation or parking costs, or other areas of potential compensated other than an hourly wage.
  • Interning without being paid is a hardship for most students.  However, consider the research noted above indicating that having an internship is typically a deciding factor when employers are considering candidates for employment. 

The Bengal Internship Award provides a stipend to students completing an unpaid/underpaid internship related to their future career goals while attending Buffalo State College. The stipend covers expenses related to unpaid/underpaid internships, including housing, food, transportation, and other incidental costs and expenses.

  • Eligibility
  • Application Requirements 
  • Application Process
  • Award Amount
  • Award Recipients