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Career Guide

Learn about Internships & Experiential Learning at HACC!

Welcome and Career Services Contacts!

Learn about internship and experiential learning opportunities here, on HACC’s Career Services webpages, within HACC’s College Central Network (CCN) Career Services Platform, and by contacting Kathleen Dormer Carusone, HACC’s Internship & Experiential Learning Opportunities Coordinator, at careerservices@hacc.edu.

Types of Experiential Learning Opportunities

Informational Interviews: Now, it is YOUR turn to do the interviewing so you can learn from an experienced professional in your field of interest/study all about that career or occupation you are interested in or have chosen.
Job Shadowing: Explore, first-hand occupations and careers that interest you.
Mock Interviews: Practice general and specific career field interviewing skills with professionals in your major/program to learn how to ace your next interview. 
Mentoring Program: A mentor is an experienced professional in an industry who is willing to provide services to a mentee (student) so that the student can learn more about a particular industry, field, or position for which the student has interest.  HACC’s Career Mentoring Network can be located within your HACC College Central Network (CCN) account. 
Volunteering: Volunteerism is a wonderful way for students to build work experience and also help an organization. (Please note that the Fair Standards Labor Act does prohibit volunteerism in the for-profit/private sector; however, volunteerism is permitted for public sector, non-profit and religious organizations.)
Tours: Learn about various tours for different companies, organizations and facilities both virtually and in-person. As COVID 19 policies are updated for external organizations and HACC as well, please check back for more information or email careerservices@hacc.edu  to connect with the IELOPs Coordinator to discuss this further.
Service Learning: Service learning is usually a short-term experience and is developed in conjunction with a particular course. Students typically perform a set duration of work and then develop a report or presentation on the experience. As COVID 19 policies are updated for external organizations and HACC as well, please check back for more information or email careerservices@hacc.edu  to connect with the IELOPs Coordinator to discuss this further.
Research Projects: Various organizations and nonprofits often need assistance with research projects (community based and by major/program/industry) and are interested in student researchers.
Studio Performances: Students in various performance arts gain valuable hands-on experience in studios related to their chosen major such as Music Business, Fine and Performing and Visual Arts. As COVID 19 policies are updated for external organizations and HACC as well, please check back for more information or email careerservices@hacc.edu  to connect with the IELOPs Coordinator to discuss this further.

Searching for An Internship

Once you have chosen a major, completed pre-requisite courses in your major, or at the very least, identified a career field of interest in which you desire doing an internship to gain experience, you will want to create your search plan. You may also make an appointment to discuss internships by emailing careerservices@hacc.edu and request to meet with Kathleen. For details on the workshop How to Create an Internship Search Action Plan offered every semester visit HACC’s Career Services Events webpage here. In the meantime, you may try these helpful resources to get you started.

Student's Guide to Internship Planning

Student's Guide to Internship Planning Infographic

 

Infographic with list of steps to follow for successful internship planning

 

The HACC Student’s Guide to Internship Planning

Are you thinking about an internship or experiential learning opportunity? HACC is here for you. Please follow these steps to ensure you’re set up for success.

  1. Read Program Course Descriptions Please visit The HACC Student’s Guide to Internship Planning Supplemental Workbook to learn about YOUR program internship course descriptions by course catalog year.
  2. Email YOUR Program Internship Faculty Lead Please visit The HACC Student’s Guide to Internship Planning Supplemental Workbook for a list of Program Internship Faculty Leads. Please ensure you are eligible to complete an internship. If you are eligible, do you have an internship site? If so, please work with your Program Internship Faculty Lead for approval. If your internship is approved, your Program Internship Faculty Lead can explain how you should register for the appropriate internship course. If you are not eligible, please note that there are other experiential learning opportunities for you to experience! Please contact Kathleen Dormer Carusone, HACC’s Internship & Experiential Learning Opportunities Coordinator, using Navigate or email CareerServices@hacc.edu.
  3. Complete YOUR Internship Paperwork & Navigate Survey Your Program Internship Faculty Lead will provide you with paperwork to complete. After your internship site is approved, you have registered for the appropriate internship course and completed your necessary paperwork, please complete the required Career Services Internship information survey in Navigate.
  4. Activate YOUR College Central Network (CCN) Account Please activate YOUR College Central Network (CCN) account. If you need assistance, please contact careerservices@hacc.edu.
For more information, please contact Kathleen Dormer Carusone at careerservices@hacc.edu and ask to join the IELOPs D2L Center.

 

International Students

International Students who want to apply for an internship

F-1 international students may only work off campus with permission from the Department of Homeland Security. Curricular practical training (CPT) is defined as employment that is "an integral part of an established curriculum.” This includes internships, health career clinical work, cooperative education programs, or any other type of required practicum. Employment may be paid or unpaid.

Eligibility Requirements 

  1. Students must be in legal F-1 status and must have completed one academic year of full-time study in order to be eligible for any form of CPT.
  2. Employment must be a required part of the degree program listed on the student’s I-20 document OR the employment must be a credit-bearing optional part of the degree program.

Please Note: 

  • CPT may be part-time (less than 20 hours per week) or full-time (more than 20 hours per week.)
  • Students who accumulate 12 months or more of full-time CPT will not be eligible for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Participation in part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.
  • Students in health career fields will be approved for CPT by a Designated School Official (DSO) when they register for clinical classes.

To apply: 

  1. Request your academic advisor to complete the attached recommendation form.
  2. Obtain a letter from your proposed employer indicating the job title, dates of employment, number of hours of work per week, place of employment, and brief description of work.
  3. Submit above documents to the International Student Coordinator or campus DSO. If all eligibility requirements are met a new I-20 will be prepared for you showing the approval on page 2.

Each semester of an internship, even if it is at the same location requires a new CPT to be filled out. 

For further information regarding any aspect of Immigration and how to request CPT approval, please email HACC’s International Students Office here.

Special Note about Internships at HACC:

An internship course must be completed within the semester for which you are enrolled in that course and all internships MUST be approved by the Faculty Lead teaching that internship course before you can even enroll.  Also, each internship course has different hour(s), content coursework and evaluation requirements.  Please consult the HACC Student’s Guide to Internship Planning Supplemental Workbook so you can connect with the correct Faculty Lead for the program in which you would like to complete an internship.

Internet Internship Platforms & Boards

Internships and Workshops

Are you interested in doing an internship and want to know how the process works here at HACC?  

Once you have nailed the internship interview, been offered the internship, accepted the internship offer and have had the internship approved by your Program’s Faculty Lead, join me for the How to Succeed on YOUR Internship! workshop offered every semester. 

Non-Profit & Volunteer Internship Resources

Local, State & Federal Government Internships

County Government Websites

Below are county government websites where you can find information for various county departments along with internship opportunities either directly by internship name OR via that county's department OR via the employment opportunities section.

State Resources
Federal Resources

Books for Internships and Experiential Learning

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Topics & Resources

Trying to decide if, when & how to disclose a disability status? Learn more by checking out any of the resources below.