Virginia Tech Internships: Launching Pad for Future Success

Internships are vital for students seeking to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world experience. Virginia Tech offers a multitude of internship opportunities across various disciplines, providing students with invaluable skills and a competitive edge in the job market. This article explores the diverse range of internships available to Virginia Tech students, highlighting the benefits and showcasing the experiences of past participants.

The Value of Internships

The age-old dilemma of needing experience to get a job, but needing a job to get experience, is effectively addressed through internships. Internships provide students with the opportunity to explore potential career paths, develop essential skills, and build professional networks. These experiences enhance resumes and significantly increase a graduate's chances of securing employment after graduation. Virginia Tech recognizes the importance of experiential learning and actively supports students in their pursuit of internships.

Virginia Cooperative Extension Internships

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), a partnership between Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, offers summer-long, credit-hour-eligible internships that allow students to explore careers in diverse fields such as nutrition, agriculture, environmental science, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, and community and youth development. While students from Virginia Tech and Virginia State Universities are especially encouraged to apply, these internships are open to students from other institutions as well.

As a VCE intern, students work within one of the 108 county/city offices, assisting Extension agents in making a difference in both rural and urban communities. This work can involve a diverse array of activities, such as supporting Master Gardeners, assisting with pesticide training, participating in cooking classes, or contributing to 4-H camps. VCE internships offer a firsthand view of careers in Extension and provide opportunities to engage in community-changing work alongside Virginia Tech faculty members. Completing a VCE internship significantly enhances a student's prospects for a future career in Extension. The listing of counties and cities with VCE internship opportunities is typically posted mid-February, with applications usually due by mid-March.

Sustainability-Focused Internships

Virginia Tech's Office of Sustainability offers internships that allow students to contribute to a more sustainable campus environment. These internships focus on a variety of initiatives, from waste reduction to energy conservation.

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One example is the "Greeks Go Green" initiative, which aims to promote sustainable practices among Greek organizations on campus. Interns involved in this program host monthly meetings to educate members about sustainable living and organize events such as canned food drives and campus cleanups. A major event is "The Big Clean," a campus-wide trash cleanup held during Earth Month.

Another project involves the GRITS program, which calculates the cost savings resulting from Green RFP projects. Interns also contribute to events, programs, and tabling opportunities that engage the Virginia Tech community in sustainability efforts. One intern focused on developing and hosting workshops to educate students on the impacts of waste and how to reduce consumption, while also serving as the office's Communications Representative, creating content for social media in collaboration with VT Facilities.

The New River Environmental Coalition (NREC), supported by the Office of Sustainability, brings together students, employees, and community members to promote sustainability through collaborative partnerships. Interns plan and facilitate meetings, manage group communications, and present the coalition's work at conferences.

Streamkeepers Program

The Streamkeepers Program allows students to collect water quality data from Stroubles Creek. The goal of this program is to examine how water quality is affected throughout the year due to environmental and potential human impacts, with the opportunity to act as a warning system if discrepancies are identified in quality data.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Virginia Tech offers numerous undergraduate research opportunities. Students can participate in the OUR Summer Research Conference, sharing their work through poster presentations and engaging with the Virginia Tech community. The University Libraries also offers an Undergraduate Research Training Series, a self-paced virtual training series that provides students with the building blocks to engage in research.

Internship Opportunities Through the Management Department

The Management Department offers resources to support students in their internship and career searches. Faculty members work with the Management Advisory Board and Recent Alumni Board members to identify and create resources for students.

Company-Specific Internship Programs

Many companies actively recruit Virginia Tech students for internships. Here are some examples:

1901 Group: An IT services company offering internships in enterprise managed services and cloud computing.
Aldi: A grocery store chain with internships focused on its rapid expansion in the United States.
ALKU: A consulting firm offering internships in areas such as ERP, Healthcare IT, Life Sciences, Government, Cyber Security, and AWS.
Aronson LLC: Provides today’s most active industry sectors and successful individuals with a comprehensive platform of assurance, tax, and consulting solutions.
Amazon: Offers internships in various areas, focusing on customer experience, technology, and empowering businesses.
Appian Corporation: A cloud computing company offering internships in building enterprise software applications.
Aronson LLC: An accounting firm offering internships in assurance, tax, and consulting solutions.
APA: Internships serving Virginia citizens and decision-makers by providing unbiased, accurate information and sound recommendations to improve accountability and financial management of public funds.
Auto-Owners Insurance: An insurance company offering internships in partnership with independent agents.
Baker Tilly: An advisory, tax, and assurance firm offering internships focused on building long-lasting client relationships.
Belk: A department store offering internships focused on store renovations and technology enhancements.
Burdette Smith & Bish LLC (BSB): An accounting firm offering internships in tax, financial accounting, and assurance.
Camden Property Trust: A property management company offering internships in leasing, managing, marketing, and maintaining properties.
Capital One: A financial institution offering internships in various areas, focusing on technology and customer service.
Carahsoft Technology Corp.: An IT solutions provider offering internships in hardware, software, and support solutions for government agencies.
Carilion Clinic: A healthcare organization offering internships in medical education, research, and community health.
CarMax: A used car retailer offering internships focused on transforming the car-buying process.
ClearDefense Pest Control (CDPC): A pest control service offering internships focused on environmentally conscious practices.
Cherry Bekaert: An accounting and consulting firm offering internships focused on helping clients achieve their organizational goals.
CohnReznick: An accounting, tax, and business advisory firm offering internships focused on client service and technical expertise.
Convergenz LLC: A human capital solutions firm offering internships in IT staffing.
Cushman & Wakefield: A commercial real estate firm offering internships in buying, selling, financing, leasing, and managing assets.
Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP: A professional services firm offering assurance, tax, and advisory services.
E. & J. Gallo Winery: A winery and distributor offering internships focused on preserving the land and building strong relationships.
Enterprise Holdings: A car rental company offering internships focused on customer service.
ETS Recruit: A recruiting firm offering internships focused on placing medical practitioners.
EY: A global professional services firm offering internships focused on building a better working world.
FDIC: A government agency offering internships focused on maintaining stability in the financial system.
FDM Group: A consulting firm offering internships focused on training college graduates and military veterans for IT and business consulting jobs.
Ferguson Enterprises: A wholesale supplier offering internships focused on plumbing, HVAC/R, waterworks, and industrial supplies.
Freedom Mortgage: A mortgage lender offering internships in sales, underwriting, servicing, and other areas.
GEICO: An insurance company offering internships in various areas, including auto, motorcycle, and homeowners insurance.
Google: A technology company offering internships in Engineering and Technology and Internships in Business (Sales, People and more).
Government Accountability Office (GOA): A non-partisan agency offering internships focused on examining how taxpayer dollars are spent.
General Services Administration (GSA): A government agency offering internships focused on constructing, managing, and preserving government buildings.
Hajoca Corporation: A plumbing, heating, and industrial supplies provider.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM): A technology company offering internships focused on computer hardware, middleware and software.
Insight Global: A staffing company operating with the intent of developing people personally, professionally, and financially.
KBR: A global provider of comprehensive solutions for aerospace and defense, energy and chemicals, intel and data science, and federal and civilian markets.
Kearney & Company: A premier CPA firm focused on providing the Federal Government with services across the financial management spectrum.

Resources for Finding Internships

Virginia Tech provides several resources to help students find internship opportunities:

Handshake: A platform where employers can post internships and post-grad jobs specifically for Virginia Tech students.
Cooperative Education and Internship Program (CEIP): A program that allows students to report their employer during their internship.
Career Services: Virginia Tech's Career Services office provides guidance and resources for students seeking internships and employment.

Beyond Traditional Internships

It's important to remember that valuable experience can be gained through various avenues beyond traditional internships. These include:

Field study
Part-time jobs
Summer jobs
Volunteering
Service-learning
Shadowing
Para-professional opportunities
Co-op programs
Undergraduate research
Extracurricular involvement and leadership roles

Student Testimonials

Several Virginia Tech students have shared their positive experiences with internships:

Jordan Lavey (Environmental & Engineering Geosciences): Valued her four years in the internship program, working on water use and sustainability projects, particularly the Streamkeepers Program.
Han Nguyen (Industrial and Systems Engineering): Appreciated the program's encouragement to explore self-directed ways to improve sustainability on campus and the connections it provided with others passionate about sustainability.

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