Internships

Internships can be formative, rewarding experiences!  

Travis has completed several PHIL484 internships in a law firm and as a C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Being a C.A.S.A. is an especially rewarding position in which you advocate in court for a child. As a child’s advocate, you solve problems, attend court, speak with the judge, write reports and look out for the interest of a child. It is a formative, highly rewarding 18-month commitment for anyone who is 21 years or older. Look into it early, and plan to do it as part of your degree!

Henry, a graduate of S.E.A.L., credits his PHIL484 internships with the position that he obtained a month after graduation with the Texas Legislature, and he credits his internship with his admission into a master’s level program at a law school. These internships helped him to distinguish him among the other candidates with equally strong LSAT scores and GPAs.

An internship is a partnership between you and an organization. There are no guarantees. You need to find the right internship and you need to approach it in the right way. The right internship can be a formative experience, helping you along your career path. It can:

• provide you with an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge you have learned in the classroom;
• further cultivate those skills and knowledge,
• shows you where you still need to grow,
• open doors for you.

Don’t just show up, actively engage the internship: take ownership in your contribution (be responsible and come through in the way that is expected). The experiences that you have, the growth you undergo and the contacts you make can fundamentally shape who you become and where you go from here.

To help you, the Department of Philosophy has consulted with companies and the non-profit organizations to identify some of the skills and attitudes that are highly desirable of interns.

When you apply to your internship, be sure to touch on the skills and attitudes listed below that are relevant to your desired position.

Skills

• Critical thinking: i.e., ability to frame a problem and discuss the issues and/or evaluate the merits of potential solutions,
• Strong writing (clear, factual writing),
• Ability to accurately read, and understand dense text: e.g., ability to identify pertinent information, the ability to be attentive to details,
• Active listening skills: e.g., identify and record pertinent information, and be attentive to details in a conversation,
• Excellent oral communication skills: i.e., speak clearly and concisely,
• Research skills,
• Ability to follow procedures (i.e., work within established program guidelines),
• Computer proficiency.