career and experiences

Ways to get career-related experience during college

There are numerous ways to get career-related experience during college.
Most students had more than one type of experience during college. See right sidebar.
Even so, over a quarter of VT graduates (06-07) said they wished they'd gotten more experience!
Whether you plan to work indoors or out, at a desk or not, with coworkers and clients or mostly alone, get experience!
Freshman year is not too early to start!
The kinds of opportunities available vary by career field.
Descriptions below, with links to more information.
Externships
These are short-term (a few hours to a few days in duration) shadowing experiences. You have a pre-arranged visit to a work environment to watch and learn from people in the career field or type of work environment that interests you. Individuals and organizations who host externs are contributing their valuable time to give you a free learning experience; you don't get paid. 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.
Career Services offers an Externship Program. You can also arrange your own externship, during various times of the year, by contacting professionals in the field that interests you.
Internships
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, and are sometimes for academic credit; these factors vary by career field and employer. Internship eligibility varies by employer; some offer internships to students who are freshmen; others require a higher academic level. Note that academic credit can only be granted by an academic department, and involves paying tuition.
Learn more about internships.
Cooperative Education, a.k.a. co-op
Co-ops are typically full-time, multi-term work agreements with one organization. For example you might work for your employer the summer after your sophomore year, and the following spring and fall semesters. You might change departments or projects within your organization. Note that some employers use the term co-op to refer to other kinds of work arrangements. Read and listen carefully for these details as you search for co-op positions. At Virginia Tech, 89% of the students in the co-op program are engineering majors and 7% are business majors. Students in other majors do occasionally co-op, but most get their experience in other ways.
Learn more about the Undergraduate Co-op Program at Virginia Tech.
Volunteering
This is sometimes students' first way to get a foot in the door of an organization or career field. Volunteer work can be something you do as an individual, or something you do because a club or organization to which you belong takes on a volunteer project. 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.
Field study
These are typically done through your academic department, for academic credit, and are sometimes required for certain majors. Consult your academic department to see if field studies are offered or required.
Undergraduate research
This is usually a one-on-one arrangement between you and a faculty member, usually in your academic department, and typically is for academic credit. However, some organizations, such as research centers, also offer these programs, and students apply just as you might apply for an internship. Professors may advertise undergraduate research opportunities, but don't wait for this to happen. If you're interested, approach professors whose research topics interest you. Undergraduate research is strongly recommended for students who are thinking about applying to graduate school.