Internships

Davis has a wealth of internships available. Whether you're a student, or a life-long learner, one of these may be just the opportunity you're looking for! An internship is a great way to get a job.

You can find a lot of internships, and internship advice, listed right here on this page. But there are a lot of other places that provide internship resources and advice.

Internship and Career Center - provides resources, advice, internship offerings, and more to UC Davis students, alumni, and even prospective students
Davis Empowerment & Community Organization - provides a "design your own internship" program, and helps community groups run their own internship programs
Your major's email list will often send out internship information
Clubs (especially your major's official club, if it exists), Fraternities and Sororities often talk about internship opportunities.

Don’t forget that many organizations may offer internships even though they’re not on this list. You may want to search out organizations that do the sort of work you want to be doing and contact them to ask about internship opportunities.

What is an internship?

An internship differs from volunteering in several ways:

An internship is an ongoing relationship, while volunteering may be a one-time thing. Volunteering may be regular, but with no expectation and understanding that the volunteer will keep coming
An internship may be paid, while volunteering implies no pay
An internship is supposed to provide the intern valuable education (which volunteering only might do)

How different organizations define internships:

The Internship and Career Center requires organizations to register with them through their website. Interns can get transcript notation (the internship can be listed on the student's transcript) if the intern completes at least 40 hours with the internship.
UC Davis major departments: Each department offers a 92 and a 192 internship course that allows students to earn units for their major through an internship. There are several requirements:
- Students must find a faculty supporter/sponsor, and must also get approval from the major's adviser.
- Students must complete a predetermined number of hours in the internship for each unit they receive. In some (or perhaps all) majors, students must complete 30 hours per quarter per unit. So a student earning 4 units for an internship must complete 120 hours per quarter (or 12 hours per week). A student may only earn up to 8 units for an internship.
- The internship must provide education on par with classroom education. Major advisers and professors vary in how strictly they enforce this requirement.

Advice for interns and applicants

Keep in mind that for-profit businesses that offer internships may only offer an unpaid internship if they meet these six criteria; if they do not meet all these criteria, the business must pay at least minimum wage. (If they don’t meet these criteria and don’t pay you for your internship, you can sue them for wages they owe.)

The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

See more information on the US Department of Labor page on this subject.

Here are a couple of pointers for internship-seekers.

The quality of your resume, application and interview is important. But quantity is important as well. The more places you reach out to, the more the odds that you may find an internship. In addition, your internship seeking skills will improve as your networking starts to increase.
Do not hesitate to call businesses if you are interested in an internship! People really like individuals who actively express their interest.
Even if an internship is not listed on the home page of a business, you should still call. You never know what opportunities are in store. In addition the worst possible feedback you may receive is “we are currently not interested in any interns at this time.”
Always be polite and patient. Today it is harder than ever even to become a volunteer at places. Possessing a positive attitude and enthusiasm may help steer employers in your direction.
Effectively communicate what you want in an internship. Often times, even if you may receive an internship, you may end up receiving work you may not like. Share what you would like to do with a business, so both parties can benefit.
Create a list so that you can track your progress in your internship hunt.

What if you can't find an internship here that I'm interested in? There are other methods to finding internships in the Davis area. Here are some tips.

Use Google maps to find organizations in your field and in Davis; contact them to ask if they offer internships.
Speak with instructors and counselors who may know of different contacts
There might be career/internship fairs at your school and other schools where a lot of recruitment occurs. Make sure you take advantage.
Talk with family and friends as they are one of the best ways to build a network.

Some organizations offering internships in and around Davis: