If you are looking for an internship during graduate school, you'll need to consider several factors:
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You should assess what kind of internship you can afford. If it's unpaid, can you get by without a paycheck? Can you afford to invest the time that it will take from your studies?
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Brainstorm a list of potential employers you'd like to learn more about. Consider the skills and interests you already have, as well as those you want to acquire.
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Prepare a C.V. or résumé, if you do not already have one. It is a good idea to ask a career counselor at your university or friends and family members who work outside academia to review your résumé.
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Identify places where you would like to be an intern and begin contacting them. You do not need to limit your search to organizations with advertised internship programs. It is often possible to create an informal or ad-hoc internship, especially if you are willing to take an unpaid or low-paid position. The key is to find a sponsor at the organization who is willing to serve as a mentor and who has a project worthy of your time and effort.
Some resources for learning more about internships:
campus.monster.com has a decent amount of content, including internship listings. The focus is on undergraduates, but many postings apply to graduate students, as well.
www.jobtrack.com and www.experience.com both offer job-search advice for internships and are widely used on college campuses.
www.idealist.org is a major source of information for careers in the nonprofit sector. The site includes an internship search engine with more than 1,500 listings and an e-mail service to inform you when new internships become available.
It's also a good idea to check with your university career center to learn what listings and resources might be available for identifying internship opportunities appropriate for your needs and interests.
