Millions of students across the globe each year seek internships that will provide them with knowledgeable experience for their future job. For most universities, such as Sonoma State University, it’s a requirement to have at least one internship position in your subject field to graduate. The more internship experience an individual has, the more appealing they are going to look in their job interviews when out of college.

“[I have] already had an internship at Nvidia last summer but am not stopping after just one,” junior Jenna Qualls said.

Often times, students do not know where to begin looking for internships, however, for Sonoma State students, there is an internship fair every year that provides students with the opportunity to get their name out and potentially earn themselves an internship.

The annual Service & Internship Fair, also known as the Involvement & Service Fair is being held on Thursday, Sept. 1 from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m in the Salazar quad. This fair has been held for over 10 years and  benefiting individuals with a wide range of career interests. In addition to the fair, Sonoma State students should stop by the event to find themselves local community service availabilities. Merith Weisman, from CCE, believes that “students should come to the fair to connect with partners of the community as well as look for internship opportunities”. Volunteer opportunities will be tabling as well.

Many non-profit organizations are wanting volunteers and interns. 55 community organizations will be on campus searching to recruit students for their positions. Some of the organizations to expect are the American Heart Association, Boys & Girls clubs of Sonoma Valley, Catholic Charities, Circle of Sisters, Episcopal Senior Communities, KRCB North Bay Public Media, Petaluma Arts Center, West County Health Center and more.

Students do not need to be in a specific major for most of these positions, because the organizations are seeking individuals who will be able to become placed in the arrange of positions, while still fulfilling all their requirements.

“I’m excited to participate in the internship fair because it will show me a variety of jobs and services that I may not have been able to discover before,” junior Andrew Maybo said.

Last year, several hundreds of students of all classes made an appearance at the fair. Contrary to popular belief, a student does not need to be an upper classman to start their internship experience.