Internships

Ways to find them

Searching for internships in the nonprofit or government sectors is very similar to searching in the private sector. For example, most positions are not advertised and personal referral is the single most effective method. Use the techniques described in the Cornell Career Services Career Guide under "Effective Job Search" and consider these points that are specific to public service:

• Almost any internship in the private sector can also be found in the public sector—great variety!
• There are nearly 200 related resources in the 103 Barnes Hall career library database on internships, careers, employers, and fellowship and can be located by key word.  
• Cornell Career Services holds a large Nonprofit & Government Career Fair in early March of each year. You might also want to attend the ILR Social Justice Career Fair or the nonprofit fairs in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
• Cornell offers several special academically oriented intership programs:
  CU Urban Semester Program - focus is on multicultural issues in urban affairs.
  CU Urban Scholars Program - NYC; public service; children.
  Cornell in Washington Program - Cornell credit with a public sector internship; especially good for public policy.
  Capital Semester Program - a semester of Cornell credit with a paid legislative internship in Albany.
  Cornell Abroad - can involve an internship in a field of your interest.

Websites

Websites provide internship postings and more importantly, enable you to identify the organizations and agencies of interest so you can apply for opportunities that aren't posted. Here are some good ones:

          Nonprofit Sites

Idealist- Extensive information, including contact people, for nearly 70,000 nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and abroad. An excellent way to identify employers to contact for volunteering opportunities and posted internships. 
Also see posting on Cornell CareerNet.
VolunteerMatch - Enables you to locate opportunities by zip code and career area and to receive customized emails.
AmeriCorps - Offers summer programs across the country and in many areas of service. Click on"Our Programs" to search these opportunities.
Action for Change - Offers database of organizations run by students or focused on students with ways to become involved. It also contains general national organizations and initiatives.
Student Conservation Association - Paid internships, three months to one year in duration in fields such as conservation, wilderness patrols, environmental education, public policy, biological research, and historic preservation.
The Riley Guide Internships - Links to a wide variety of internship sites.

Government Sites

Studentjobs.gov - The federal government's official source of internships, co-ops, and volunteer options. Also provides a large database of agencies that are interested in students.
Firstgov.gov - A database of the nearly 88,000 local government employers in the U.S.—cities, counties and towns. Use it to identify offices and agencies that you would like to contact in fields such as health, finance, recreation, environment, science, arts, education, and much more.
Partnership for Public Service - Their internship directory includes information on more than 200 federal internship programs and is searchable by agency, eligibility, and location.
New York City Government Internships - Summer internship listings with a wide range of city government agencies.