Internships

1
Internships Co-ops for UI ECE students -
Overview

• What is an Internship/Co-op?
• Why do an Internship/Co-op?
• Where have our UI ECE students had internships.
• What should I do?
• Important points.

2
Internships Co-ops for UI ECE students -
Overview

• Can I get UI credits for it doing an
  internship/co-op?
• Acme Electronics doesnt recruit at UI. What can
  I do?
• Start your search ASAP!
• Questions?

3
What is a Co-op?

• A traditional system where a student would
  alternate periods of work and school for the
  duration of the students undergraduate program.
  A typical program would include alternating 6
  months of work and 6 months of school.

4
What is an Internship?

• A student works for a company for one or two
  periods.
• A typical period is a summer.
• Most of our students do internships.

5
Why do a Internship/Co-op?

• Experience
• Can lead to future employment with the company
  providing the internship.
• Can help you come to terms with what youd would
  like to do or not like to do in your career.
• It looks good when applying for full time
  employment after graduation.
• for school

6
Where have our UI ECE students had internships?

• Micron (Boise)
• Boeing (Seattle)
• AMI Semiconductor (Pocatello)
• Schweitzer Engineering Labs (SEL) in Pullman
• Potlach Corporation (Lewiston)
• NASA Ames Research Center (California)
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California)

7
Where have our UI ECE students had internships?

• Power Engineers (Haley, close to Sun Valley)
• Agilent (Spokane)
• INEEL
• AMD (Austin, Texas)
• Numerous small companies in the Northwest

8
What should I do?

• Begin by visiting the UI Career and Professional
  Planning (CAPP) Vandal Career Connection
• http//www.capp.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid103007
  

9
What should I do?

• The UI CAPP Office
• Is a liaison between students employers
• Offers many workshops
• Provides search strategies
• Review the Resource Library and Useful Links
  info provided at the web site in the students
  section.
• Resume critiquing

10
What should I do?

• Plan on attending the
• SPRING CAREER EXPO OF THE PALOUSE Wednesday,
  February 13, 2008
• 1100 AM to 500 PM
• Kibbie Dome
• http//www.capp.uidaho.edu
• Take your resume!

11
Important points

• Polish your Resume
• Take advantage of the CAPP Office resume
  critiquing service
• Polish your Cover letter
• Take advantage of the CAPP Office cover letter
  critiquing service

12
Can I get UI credits for it doing an
internship/co-op?

• In principle yes
• Enroll in ECE 398
• However, the credits have little practical value
  since they cannot be applied to the EE or CompE
  degrees.

13
Acme Electronics doesnt recruit at UI. What can
I do?

• If you want to work for a company that doesnt
  recruit on campus..
• Be ambitious. contact the company on your own.
• Sending a resume cover letter may be the first
  step, but phone calls or personal contact is a
  more powerful way to sell yourself in this
  situation.
• This strategy has worked in situations where a
  company has not ever previously hired an intern.

14
Start your search ASAP!

• The sooner you start, the sooner youll land a
  position.
• Do not get discouraged if something doesnt
  happen immediately.
• Going through the process is good practice for
  the real thing after graduation.
• Youll gain an understanding of the process
  what employers are looking for.
• Job hunting can be a bit of an art and you have
  to develop skill in this area.

15
Questions?