Internships are “work-related learning for individuals who want hands-on experience” and can be paid or unpaid. It integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting.
Benefits of internships:
Individuals
- Career field exploration – learn more about a particular career pathway and the tasks/activities involved to determine if that is the right career option
- Networking – Build professional relationships helps to develop a network of connections that can serve as supports by providing information, references, mentors, etc. that will support you throughout your career
- Skills development – learn soft and hard skills that are vital to being successful in the workforce. Enhance skills that pertain to a particular career field.
Employers
- Give back to the community – Enhance the local workforce by providing opportunities within the local community
- Larger Talent Pool – Evaluate potential candidates for hire through work-based experience and interactions with coworkers, management, etc.
- New Perspectives – Bring in new ideas that can break the status quo and open the doors for innovation to enhance productivity and success
- Increase productivity - Interns can make quality contributions by helping full-time staff avoid becoming overburdened by projects and focus on projects requiring more high levels of expertise.
April is Internship Awareness Month in Bellevue
Check out the Bellevue City Council's proclamation
Bellevue College
Bellevue College offers a multitude of resources for employers to find qualified interns, reach out to the community, develop internship programs, and provide guidance and mentorship.
Bellevue College Resources for Employers
Recruiting Events – sign up to connect with students and alumni at hiring/networking events
Find Qualified Interns – Find qualified candidates to fill your internship positions through the Academic Internship Program and Handshake
Center for Career Connections – Get involved with the center and learn how to offer internships, be a guest speaker in a class or workshop, aid in professional development via mock interviews, serve on an advisory board, or provide curriculum input.
Do You Have an Internship Program you would like to promote throughout the city?
Find out more information on developing an internship from Bellevue College! Connect with the internship coordinator at internships@bellevuecollege.edu
Do You Have an Internship Program you would like to promote throughout the city?
Reach out to Pranaya Sathe (Workforce Development Specialist, City of Bellevue) at PSathe@bellevuewa.gov to share!
Find Internships
Washington Workforce Portal
Students: Explore internship opportunities in 20 industries. Create a FREE student account and complete your profile to get started. Then, use the advanced opportunity search to find an opportunity by keyword, job category, location and more.
Employers: Boost work-based learning opportunities and gain access to the advanced student search, which allows you to search for students by keyword, school, major, location and more.
Career Connect Washington - Career Prep
Students: Find pre-apprenticeship and internship opportunities by using the directory to search for them by location/
Employers: Get your program featured on the webpage and post available opportunities
Pacific Northwest National Library
Students: Internship opportunities in STEM and business fields for high school, undergraduate, or graduate students. Internships can be completed either during the summer or during the academic year.
Chegg Internships
Students: Find in person and remote internships for high school and college students based on career interests and location
Employers: Post internship opportunities and find resources on how to develop and maintain your own internship programs