Olivia Leal had an internship at Project Return, a company focused on improving the lives of those recovering from mental illness.
The USF Tampa student obtained the position obtained the position through a field-placement class required for her minor in behavioral healthcare.
Leal said the internship was a great experience and furthered her interest in studying mental illness.
After graduation, jobs were scarce in the psychology field.
Eventually, she found a $10-an-hour job at the Jacaranda Manor, a nursing home, she said, is reserved for the “severely mentally ill,” in St. Petersburg.
But she also said because the facility’s conditions were so bad, she only kept the job for less than two days.
“People were screaming and reeked of urine,” said Leal. “I was told to be careful and to treat everyone as if they have AIDS.”
Leal said it’s hard to find a well-paying job in the psychology industry with only a bachelor’s degree.
“I could get a job for $10-13 an hour, but I make more serving (at restaurants),” she said. Leal plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.
Lisa Shouse, director of the USF St. Petersburg Career Center, said that psychology internships can be hard to come by due to the nature of the field.
Some careers, such as journalism, require experience and internships before employment, while in other careers, one internship can lead to a full-time job.
While many internships are unpaid and primarily offered to help students strengthen their skills in their field of study, applicants should make sure the opportunity is legitimate.
“An intern should not be getting coffee,” said Shouse.
Students can also gain experience by volunteering, but should try to differentiate between the two.
Volunteer work is focused on the service and benefits of the recipient, Shouse said, while internships are focused on learning to benefit the intern.
The Career Center connects students and potential employers through an online platform called Recruit-A-Bull.
Shouse said all organizations that post internships on Recruit-A-Bull are required to state they are in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
According to the act, internships in the “for-profit” private sector will most often be viewed as employment, but there are circumstances in which individuals can participate in the programs without compensation.
Interns who receive training for their own educational benefit may do so without being paid – if the training meets certain criteria.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the following criteria must be applied when making this determination:
- The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
- The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
- The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
- The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
- The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.
According to media law professor Dr. David Snyder, employers offering internships have run into problems with the U.S. Department of Labor in the past, but added that companies tend to be more cautious today by requiring students to receive class credit from their university.
The Dali Museum seeks USFSP interns through Recruit-A-Bull.
Although the museum’s website states the company does not have openings for part or full-time employees, unpaid internship opportunities are available in 12 departments.
The Dali schedules interns for mandatory volunteer work such as handing out tickets and holding doors during events.
Raymond James, a financial services holding company with more than 2,700 locations in the country and several offices in Tampa Bay, has various postings on Recruit-A-Bull.
Tarah Harkins, director of campus recruiting for Raymond James, said the goal of the company’s paid-internship program is to convert promising interns into full-time employees after graduation.
When looking to hire recent college graduates, Harkins said the company likes to see applicants with high GPAs, solid internship experience, involvement in extracurricular activities and even part-time employment.
“In the competitive campus recruiting world, those are the things that can set students apart from their peers,” said Harkins.
If a student’s GPA is below an organization’s listed requirement, Shouse suggests to still apply, but to leave out the GPA on the resume. Students may land interviews and can discuss their academic success with employers.
“Internships get you a better chance of getting a job,” she said.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, intern to employee conversion rate was 51.7 percent in 2015.
USFSP journalism and media studies professor Dr. Tony Silvia coordinates and oversees the program’s students who are enrolled in a media internship for college credit. Although some internships may not lead to positions, he said the experience and networking could lead to other jobs.
Silvia said internships serve two uses – to determine if the career path is the right one for that individual, or not.
As internship coordinator, Silvia said some students feel like time is wasted through an internship that wasn’t right for them. However, he said students who discover something they don’t want to do due to an internship experience is just as important as it furthering their career choice.
