Resources for snagging the ever-elusive (paid) arts internship

1. Research

Okay, so technically most research opportunities available to undergraduates are not internships. In fact, given the freedom and exploration of personal interests that independent research allows, it is often preferable to a standard internship, depending on the amount of structure you require. Hopkins offers several grants for students interested in conducting research over the summer. Applications typically require the support of a faculty member, who will oversee the project, as well as relatively detailed grant proposals. A comprehensive list research grants available to undergraduates can be found at advising.jhu.edu/research_funding. Note that many deadlines for these grants are approaching quickly.

2. Professional organizations

A bunch of fields within the Humanities have various professional organizations, and they often list job opportunities, including internships. For those interested in museums and/or the history of art, The Association of Art Museum Curators (artcurators.org) has a helpful list of internships and fellowships. It’s extensive, it’s alphabetical and it highlights deadlines, so you don’t have to search for them. The American Anthropological Association has a database they have deemed the “AnthroGuide.” It’s searchable and includes internships. To access the database, head to americananthro.org and select AnthroGuide from the “Learn & Teach” tab. Similar resources exist for professionals in other areas, and can usually be found via Google search or a conversation with a professor.

3. On-campus help

Speaking of conversations with professors, that’s usually the smartest place to start. Sending an email to your academic advisor or a professor whose research interests you is low effort and often high reward. The Office of Academic Advising, the National Fellowships Program (located in the depths of Shriver) and the Career Center are also worth checking out. The Career Center, usually foreign to underclassmen (or upperclassmen, for that matter) can help you efficiently prep for interviews and strengthen your resume. Each department within the school of Arts & Sciences also has a corkboard where they list internships, fellowships and career and educational opportunities, among other things.

4. Last resort

If you’re late to the game or have no luck with the above strategies, hit up your personal network (LinkedIn sometimes comes in clutch), because you likely know someone who knows someone within your field. Further, there are plenty of blogs, especially for writers, that provide career guidance. If all else fails, there’s always your parents’ place and a job in food service, right?