Internships: Prepare for the Unexpected
Some internship employers may have to reassess the need for internships or their capability to support an educational program right now in an effective way. If your internship is canceled, please remember that this is not a reflection on you, but is a product of circumstances that are out of your control. That said there are some things that you can do.
Is your internship for credit?
If so, the first thing you should do is to reach out to the faculty member or administrator who oversees your internship course. Each Program, Department, and College will have its own process for addressing the situation. You should notify them immediately upon learning of the decision so that you can work together to find a way to modify requirements (if possible) and to complete the internship. Please note that there are some internships that are required for professional credentialing; in these cases, any modifications would be up to the governing body for that particular certification and even a faculty member may not be able to modify the requirements.
If your internship is not for credit but you want to continue to gain experience please contact the UNT Career Center (careercenter@unt.edu). Staff members are available to assist you in finding potential alternatives.
Try Again…
If you are not graduating this semester you may think about just starting over and doing a different internship with another employer.
Additional Suggestions
An article in Forbes just addressed this with some good advice on what to do if your internship is cancelled.
- Ask your mentor or boss if you can work remotely
- Start your own project
- Conduct your own research
- Study for standardized tests
- Get involved in the local community
How the Career Center can help
- You can contact the Career Center to set up an appointment (careercenter@unt.edu) or request one via handshake.
- Make sure you take advantage of resources on the Career Center website (careercenter.unt.edu).
- Use Big Interview to practice your interview skills (unt.biginterview.com). Watch this video to learn more about Getting Started with Big Interview. Looking for more information? Check the Big Interview Student Guide.
- All opportunities that are currently live and available are posted to Handshake.
Other helpful articles:
- Recruiters Share How Job Seekers Can Prepare During Coronavirus Pandemic – Recession, Recruiters and Hiring Trends
- 45 Things to Do on Social Media to Find Jobs
- Personal Branding with Social Media
- 6 Amazing Resume Tools to Create Perfect Digital Resumes and Digital Portfolios
- Is ‘AQ’ more important than intelligence?
