How To Find Internships: Tips from a SUST Major

By Margaret Allen

One way to set yourself up for success before graduation, in my opinion, is to have a well-rounded résumé when applying for jobs post-grad. While working and going to school shows grit, having relevant work experience gives you more opportunities for connections and finding what exactly you are passionate about, and maybe what you are not so passionate about.

How exactly can you do that? One way to gain this experience is through unpaid (or paid, if you are really lucky) internships. I am going let you in on some tips and tricks to finding an internship in the field of Sustainability and ways to find free money to pay for your time. While the task of finding an internship may feel daunting, I promise it is worth it in the long run.

“But where do I even begin?” – You

If you are a Sustainability Studies major, or are just passionate about working in the Sustainability field, there are a few resources I have found that have plenty of opportunities in numerous different sectors of environmental work. The first I suggest you take a look at is the Green Jobs Network. There you can find a whole list of different “green jobs.” I recommend looking at this resource to cultivate an idea of what kind of environmental work you specifically are interested in.

As you can see, there are quite a few options! This is exciting, but also very intimidating. Don’t worry if you are not sure which avenue you are interested in – take a look at the jobs posted and read the job descriptions to get an idea of what the day to day might be like in that field. This resource is great for finding a job post grad, though not so great for internships. I still offer it to you to first think of what you are interested in to narrow your internship possibilities to just a few sectors.

Once you have an idea or two of the kind of green job you are most interested in, I suggest heading over to the Chicagoland Environmental Network. On this website I have found it easiest to filter out the postings to just internships. (Do not be wary of clicking the “unpaid” option, as I will soon tell you where to look for possible funding and/or free money for school).

If you are to look right now, there might not be many opportunities, and that is OK! As I read on Forbes, most companies do not begin recruiting for summer positions until February.

Another great resource for possible internship opportunities is through Roosevelt’s job site Simplicity. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors as well, because they may know of different opportunities that are not found on the internet; and be sure to check the SUST blog and social media pages (Facebook and LinkedIn) for occasional postings of job, internship, and fellowship opportunities.

One opportunity I am excited to share with you is through the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) here in Chicago! They are looking for a Spring intern and Summer interns. (I might be biased on which one is more fun, seeing I just finished their summer internship). The current environmental issues the ELPC focuses on include Clean Air, Clean Energy, Clean Transportation and Clean Water here in the Midwest. If you are interested in learning more about the work done at the ELPC, feel free to reach out to me. Or, if you are ready to apply for the internship, head over to the ELPC’s website for more direction.

And now, the most valuable information you’ve been waiting for … How to get funding to support you through an unpaid internship! There are a few websites I have found that offer free – yes, I said free – money. The best is Unigo, where you write up a killer essay and receive money for internships – use the search engine to filter for internship scholarships. There are also resources here at Roosevelt that can provide funding. The Office of Student Research has two different fellowships you can apply for to receive funding – if your work is research based.

My final tip to you on securing the internship of your dreams, is to utilize RU’s resources! Have your resume and cover letter checked over by associates in Career Development. Take it one step at a time, but the earlier you start completing internships, the more experience you have upon graduating – along with a better idea of what you want to do when you grow up.

Margaret Allen is a senior majoring in sustainability studies and minoring in biology at Roosevelt University. Last summer she started an internship at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, and she currently works as a SUST Student associate on campus sustainability projects in the Department of Sociology & Sustainability.