Information for Undergraduates

How to prepare to be competitive for a CLM Internship after graduation

Experience
Relevant Coursework/Species Knowledge
People and Communication Skills
Make a good first impression!

 

Experience

To qualify for a CLM internship, you must have relevant experience. Besides the specific area of biology that interests you, a broad biological background is important as well. Coursework in GIS (Geographical Information System; a computerized approach to storing geographical and ecological data) will enhance your application. Experience with controlled burns and other ecological management tools can also be a big plus - consider volunteering with the Nature Conservancy or ODNR to get this experience. Other possibilities to enhance your biological background can be found in undergraduate internships, part-time employment, volunteering, working on a faculty research project or senior honors thesis. Remember, you are also making contacts for your all-important letters of reference!

 

Relevant Coursework/Species Knowledge

Know how to use dichotomous keys! Field biologists often run into plants and critters they don't know, and must figure out species identifications on their own. Applicants that have taken courses that include species identification (e.g. Plant Systematics/Taxonomy, Entomology, Ichthyology, Vertebrate Biology, Mammalogy, Herpetology, Invertebrate Biology, etc.) head to the top of the list! Because there is a shortage of botanists trained in basic plant identification, and plant and community ecology, and many of our internships are plant-focused, we strongly encourage coursework in botany, especially plant identification.

 

People and Communication Skills

These are very important for a successful CLM internship. Because our interns work in field offices for various federal agencies, the ability to cooperate, collaborate, and follow directions is important. You must be able to get along with others, and be able to express yourself clearly on paper and in person.

 

Make a good first impression!

Make sure there are no obvious misspellings or other mistakes on your application materials. Mistakes can detract from your application, since they may indicate that you don't care enough or aren't attentive enough to proof-read your application. Forgoing basic English composition and grammar may be fine for text-messages, but not for your cover letter and professional emails! Not using proper grammar, capitalization and punctuation definitely gives a bad first-impression. Always be professional!