For more than 50 years, Northwestern students have found internships through the Chicago Field Studies program.
CFS offers students the opportunity to intern during an academic quarter for course credit. Participants can secure internships through NU or through their own connections. More than 300 businesses maintain relationships with CFS. Students submit a resume to dozens of companies in hopes of an interview and internship offer.
Weinberg sophomore Ella Marks said CFS is a great way to get practical experience. After completing a few remote internships, Marks said she was eager to try one in person.
“I’ve learned a lot about finance more theoretically and generally,” said Marks, who studies economics. “I’m really excited to be able to experience actual events that are going to happen with real companies.”
CFS advisors aid in resume drafting, mock interview practice and other skills that help prepare and support students for the competitive internship search. Additionally, some previous CFS participants serve as student consultants and mentor current CFS students.
Though students are connected to employers through CFS, they are not guaranteed a response. Many, like Weinberg sophomore Vishnu Juvadi, initially struggle to get an interview.
“For a while I was searching on my own to get an internship,” Juvadi said. “But nearing the end, one of the firms actually reached out to me that CFS sent my resume to.”
During their internships, students can gauge their interest in a particular industry.
Weinberg sophomore Nina Bush is currently completing a hybrid internship through CFS and said the model gives her time to bond with fellow interns and work alone.
“(CFS) sounded like a really great opportunity to learn about a new side of business in a way that was very structured,” Bush said. “The fact that you get course credit at the same time makes it very valuable, because even if you don’t enjoy the internship, you’re still getting course credit.”
Internships are offered in person, remotely and hybrid. Students take an affiliated seminar alongside their internship, and, depending on the number of hours the student chooses to work, they may enroll in regular NU courses.
In the seminar, students present their findings and reflect on their experience. The class is often scheduled later in the day to accommodate commuting students.
“It’s definitely not as much work as a regular class,” Marks said. “You still have several assignments to complete, but just based off of the syllabus, it seems pretty manageable.”
Some students say they prefer the hybrid model to balance coursework and to avoid a daily commute.
Many also use the commute to work as a bonding experience, traveling into the city together. Those who intern in similar fields learn from like-minded peers as well as from senior members of the office.
“We travel together, and we also work together,” Bush said. “It’s nice to have that balance and be able to work in the office and really learn from the people that are employed full-time there.”
CFS has grown consistently over the years, increasing by more than 200 participants in the past decade.
Many CFS participants this quarter were inspired by previous CFS students, and though they are only a few days into their internship, they already say they would recommend the experience to others as well.
“I really recommend doing CFS just because I think it’s perfect,” Juvadi said. “You get work experience. It’s something new.”
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