Internship Blog: Crystal Christophe Post #3

Economic Survival and What Happens After Finding the Perfect Internship

Once you find an internship you like and you are offered a position, be sure to check with your career counselor to make sure that the internship is appropriate and will satisfy the requirement.  Then, you can accept the offer and prepare to start. Login to Connections and submit your internship information.  Make sure you have the contact information for you supervisor and approximate dates of the internship.  Sometimes, people will continue their internship beyond the required 300 hours and that’s totally fine.  In the evaluation that your supervisor submits, they will indicate whether you have completed at least 300 hours.

Some of you will be lucky enough to find a paid internship, but most internships will be unpaid.  Your internship hours will vary and can be anywhere from 10 to 40 hours per week.  If money is a concern for you, I would recommend working a part-time job in the summer.  Check PittSource for campus positions and pay attention to the email blasts from GSPIA.  Also, ask around GSPIA and see if any professors/centers are seeking paid research assistants for the summer.  Whatever you choose, you want to make sure that your schedule is flexible enough to accommodate your internship.  It will probably be easier to find a part-time job once you have secured an internship and you know your hours, otherwise any potential part-time employer will be hesitant because they don’t know your availability.  At least, that was my experience.

GSPIA also has a Professional Development Fund (PDF) that can cover some expenses, but usually not local internships.  You will have to login to Connections to apply.  The competition for PDF happens a couple of times a year so watch your email for those notifications.  There are certain things that are not covered and those items are explained in the application.  Email your career counselor if you have questions about it.

I live alone and I had to consider my expenses.  I couldn’t afford to go out of state despite having a couple of (unpaid) internship offers at some really cool organizations.  I had to worry about my rent and other bills so I figured I should stay local.  For others who are willing, if you still want to go out of state, you can consider subletting your apartment.  I didn’t want to do that, but that is certainly something to consider.

I hope this helps!  If I think of anything else, I’ll add it here.
Crys