Finding an internship opportunity that aligns with your major can be hard enough for students, but finding one locally can be even harder. Are there fewer opportunities in Quincy, or are students just not looking close enough? Staff and students at Quincy University discuss internships opportunities, experiences and desires to find something aligning with their future career choice.

Many students look for internship opportunities to make connections in their future career choice and to gain experience. But how hard is that to attain in an already competitive environment for many? Some students like to aim high for internships at the top companies in the country. But many like to aim locally where they attend school, or aim for a spot in their hometown. To many, making those connections locally is just as important as making connections with big names.

“There aren’t too many choices for me in town, I have to look further than Quincy usually. My best opportunity is in the Chicago area at the moment, but even then, that is through connections I have made,” JD Vogel, computer science student, said.

What is an internship? An internship is a position based off of experience based learning, that is only offered for a limited amount of time. Often times, students will be an intern for a semester or for the summer, all durations of time where you can learn and gain experience.

Quincy thrives off of having so many local businesses, but not all of them cater to students who need to gain experience through internship opportunities. Even if an internship opportunity arises, not every position offers productivity or experience. Sometimes, it’s office work for current employees or doing the busy work that no one has time for. How can this type of atmosphere be avoided?

“The Quincy community wants interns often, but they want their interns to stay and work full-time later on. We have a great support here in the local area for talent,” Kristen Liesen, director of experiental learning, said.

Making and keeping connections is the smartest way to get the internship you want. Make connections, network, and keep in contact with people you want to be around when it comes to your future. This may be useful for more than an internship or career opportunity.

“Cultivating those relationships, going to events and meeting people. Participating and networking goes a long way when it comes to finding new opportunities,” Saadia Ali Aschemann, assistant director of student success, said.

New opportunities for students aren’t always face-to-face, sometimes it’s a student creating a LinkedIn profile and adding everyone they know just to apply to an internship online.

Finding an internship that aligns with your career is challenging, but it doesn’t mean giving up should be in the cards. Striving for an internship that will give you the best opportunities possible, is ideal, and you should be able to attain that as long as you want it.