Engineering Internship at CU-Boulder

What is an internship?

An internship is a paid or unpaid work position for a company, full or part-time during the school year or summer, that is not administered by the college and results in no academic credit. Internships may be arranged with the help of CU-Boulder’s Career Services or independently.  International internships are also an option for students who pursue an International Engineering Certificate. 

I want an internship...where do I start?

Having a solid resume and knowing how to search for job postings are important first steps in landing an internship.  Also, preparing for an interview and knowing what to expect can place you in the front of the pack.  Visit the following links for more information on how to write a resume, internship and job search strategies, and preparing for an interview.

You can begin your internship search by logging on to Career Services On-line (CSO)--see What is CSO below--which provides access to current nationwide internship and post-graduate career opportunities. To sign up for your free CSO account please visit the Career Services webpage and follow the links to CSO login and registration.

If you would like some personal assistance with your job search you can set up an appointment with a Career Services Counselor to discuss your internship options and explore different career paths. You can also attend a Career Services Employer Presentation on campus where you can learn more about organizations and develop contacts.

You can also attend any of the four Career and Internship Fairs hosted by Career Services throughout the year.  Students of all class levels are welcome to attend for free! Gather information about fields of interest and specific organizations, build your network of contacts, explore internship possibilities, and learn about post-graduate career opportunities.

Finally, make sure to talk to your professors to see if they are aware of opportinities. They are a great resource too!

How do I get an international internship?

International internships are available to students who participate in the International Engineering Certificate Program.  Certificates are currently available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.  Students must take a minimum of three courses in language and two courses in culture or literature.  For more information, please visit the International Engineering Certificate webpage.

What can you tell me about the internship experiences of other students?

We have a good deal of information from our students about how they found their internship, when they started, and how much they were paid.  You can learn more by viewing the Internship Fast Facts.

Additionally, you can read about students' internship experiences by clicking the pictures on the left-hand side of this page.

What is CSO?

CSO stands for Career Services Online and is the main job posting site for internships and part-time and full-time professional opportunities.  CSO is also the main source for on-campus interview information. In the CSO system you can:

• Search online listings for internships and jobs that have been posted specifically for CU-Boulder students and alumni (CSO is NOT pulling jobs from other databases).
• Sign up for on-campus interviews with companies from across the nation.
• Set up job agents to alert you about openings that meet your criteria (e-mailed automatically to you) - see below for details.
• Never miss out on an internship or career-related opportunity again!

Once in CSO, you will get weekly e-mail updates on internship and career fair dates, application deadlines for on-campus interviews, special presentations and other career-related events.

Bonus - If you are signed up with CSO, you will get a nifty printed nametag when you attend career and internship fairs!

Signing up is easy:

1. Disable pop-up blockers on your computer before you register or log in.
2. Click the "Click here to register" link above (left sidebar login box) and fill out all required fields on that first screen. (You'll be asked to create your username and password.)
3. Click "register" and follow screen prompts to complete profile. At the bottom of this profile screen, you will be asked to enter your newly assigned CU student ID number.
4. Click "continue" after all required information has been entered.
5. Click "submit profile." You will then be brought to the CSO menu bar and can begin using your new account.

Do you want internship opportunities e-mailed to you?  When you search for an internship on CSO, you can choose "Create Job Agent" after your search and every time an internship is posted that matches your search criteria, you will receive an e-mail about the internship.

1. Go to your CSO account (or register for CSO--see step above)
2. When you get to your account, click on "Job Search"
3. Select criteria relevant to your internship search, then click "Search"
4. The search results page will have an option, "Create Job Agent," in the top right corner, click that option.  Each time an internship is posted that matches your search criteria, you will receive an e-mail notifying you of that posting.