Contacting Organizations
No matter how you ask about the internship (either in person, over Zoom, by phone, or by email), be sure to include the following information:
- Your name
- Where you go to school
- Explain why you are visiting/calling/emailing
- How you heard about the internship opportunity
- If unsure, inquire who might be the best person to talk to about your internship
- Leave contact information
- Always have a resume and cover letter ready in case they ask for it
- If visiting in person, dress in interview attire to make a good, professional first impression
📝 Example Initial Statement
"Hello, my name is Kelly. I am a student at Brigham Young University Idaho (BYU-Idaho) majoring in Public Health. I am specifically interested in working with your [name of the program or department]. I would like to intern with your organization. Could you connect me with the person that could help with that opportunity?"
📞 If No Listing is Available...
Call the HR Representative for more information on whom to contact.
Preparation for the Interview
Before Your Interview
- Practice your interview skills
- Review your resume and cover letter
- Research the organization and program you wish to intern with
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer
- Review your internship requirements (hours, weeks, dates)
🎯 Career Center Assistance
The BYU-Idaho Career Center can assist you with interview preparation. Contact them to make an appointment.
Day of the Interview
👔 Mannerisms
- Dress in interview attire
- Use proper titles to show respect (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.)
- Be friendly
- Make eye contact
- Shake hands
- Smile
📋 Bring With You
- Cover letter and resume
- Knowledge about the company/program you wish to intern with
- Find ways to praise the organization in the interview
- Notes or questions you want to ask
❓ Be Prepared to Address
Common interview questions you should prepare for:
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What are your greatest weaknesses?
- Tell me a little about yourself
- Why would you be a good fit for this position?
The Career Center can suggest other questions to be prepared for.
⚠️ Don't Forget!
Bring up your internship requirements to set expectations:
- Number of hours needed (minimum 200)
- Number of weeks (minimum 7)
- Start date and end date
Internship Supervisor Expectations
Often the organization has questions about their expectations. Share the following information with them:
If you are a new internship site for BYU-Idaho, you will receive an email with a link to our Master Internship Agreement. Please follow the link to accept the agreement.
If you have any questions, please notify the Internship Office at internships@byui.edu.
- Provide planned and supervised opportunities for each Intern to perform tasks to acquire and practice various skills based on objectives compatible with BYU-Idaho's program
- Orient the Intern to the Experience Provider's rules, policies, procedures, methods, and operations
- Evaluate the Intern's performance and notify BYU-Idaho's Internship Coordinator of any cause of dissatisfaction or misconduct
- Comply with all federal, state, local, and municipal laws applicable to the Experience Provider
- If applicable, pay the Intern the agreed upon rate of compensation
- Accept primary responsibility for supervision and guidance of the Intern at the internship site
The supervisor will receive an email with a link to the evaluation at the end of the semester to assess the intern's performance.
Information You'll Need After Acceptance
Once you have accepted the internship, gather the following information for your credit application:
📝 Required Information Checklist
- Organization Information: Name and contact information
- Supervisor Details: Name, title, and contact information of your supervisor
- Dates: Start date and end date (end date must be before the end of the semester)
- Hours: Number of hours agreed upon per week
- Compensation: Paid or unpaid, and if paid, the hourly rate
🎉 Congratulations!
If you've gathered all this information, you're ready to apply for internship credit through I-Plan!