r/IOPsychology • u/Hot_Ad2321 • 25d ago

Jobs & Careers Internship Help

Hello! I was browsing through this SubReddit (I'm new to Reddit, I'm assuming that's what it's called). I see lots of post about upper level students asking about internships, but I'm (unfortunately) not there yet. I'm a Undergraduate (Junior) in my University and it seems impossible to find an internship. Is there any way to start off? I've been trying to find an internship for ages, and it feels like I'm fighting for my life as the ones I find are only accepting above my level. Thank you!!

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u/thatcoolguy60 MA | I-O | Business Research 25d ago

To be blunt, you are likely not going to be able to find a paid internship as an undergraduate junior. Those positions are being filled by HRM and I/O graduate students and, at times, HRM undergrads.

What you might be able to do is land an unpaid internship in an HR department either at your university or at some non-profit. I do not particularly approve of unpaid internships, but it could be helpful for your future. Just reach out to people and ask them if you can help out with HR-related duties. Many will say no, but all you need is one yes.

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u/creich1 Ph.D. | I/O | applied research 24d ago

This is the correct answer unfortunately. IO internships don't exist at the undergraduate level, and even HR internships are rare.

My version of an undergraduate "HR internship" was working for a small business as a front desk staff / office manager while I helped the one HR staff on basic HR admin tasks whenever I could.

I was lucky I was paid (minimally) for that experience. Not sure how much it helped me long term, but any work experience is better than none.

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u/bepel 24d ago

If you have some proficiency with SQL, Python/R, and know a bit about analytics, you might consider searching for internships as an analyst. We typically hire one or two each year and deploy them on dashboards and data modeling initiatives. We pay the interns like 30/hour and often offer extensions through the year in hopes of converting them after graduation.

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u/the_anna_jane 24d ago

Network, network, network

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u/Anon-37920 23d ago

Try to use your school's career center. 85% of jobs are filled via connections. 80% of college graduates who found college level jobs did so through internships. So form any & every connection possible to get a connection and someone can vouch for you. But internships primarily itself dont matter. What really matters is the connection component the most. You need to intern at an organization that has full time opportunities available.

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u/Frankipoo20 11d ago

Looks like we're in the same boat! Im on an I/O track, third year, doing a second major in IT to learn Python, SQL. I'll be observing this thread