Internship Application
Now is the time to put your God-given talents and abilities to the test. Oak Valley’s Internship program provides a comprehensive, scheduled, and well-structured opportunity for you to explore the world of work. Unlike a job, where you are, typically, assigned duties to carry out, your role as an intern is intentionally to learn, gain perspectives, and observe. In a job, your work may be narrow and specific, an internship should be viewed as more of an applied learning experience with broader goals. As an intern, you may be asked to perform specific tasks and be productive, but typically, the goal is for you to learn rather than producing outputs for the company, organization, or ministry in which you are assigned. Finally, an intern, typically, has a lot more access to senior leadership than an employee.
EXPECTATIONS
In order to be prepared for this experience, it requires a commitment of time and energy. On average, you are expected to devote a minimum of five hours per week. There will be a one hour meeting with the Career Services Director and 3-4 hours at your assigned internship.
Your internship carries academic credit (4 units), which also requires you to complete assignments and papers, as is typical of any academic course. Your “homework” is primarily reflecting on your internship assignment. While you may conduct additional research, that work will be fairly modest and directed by your personal career exploration and goals. As the adage goes, “The more you put in, the more you will get out.”
This course does not apply, directly, to your degree. However, oftentimes, professional workplaces will view internships, especially those carrying academic credit, as a substitute for experience requirements. It demonstrates that you went above minimal expectations and you are driven above many of your peers.