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In Milestone 3, you’ll start turning your career dreams into reality.  Experiential learning (EL), also called “learning by doing,” includes activities like internships, micro-internships, simulations, volunteering, case studies, clinical work, and more. These experiences enable you to acquire real-life experience, apply your skills and knowledge, make professional connections, and boost your employability. 

This milestone requires gaining experience, so you’ll likely complete it in stages as you move through your program. Follow the steps below to get started! 

Find an Experiential Learning or Internship Opportunity

Use these quick links to explore Experiential Learning (EL) and internship opportunities. We highly recommend that all learners review and complete each step outlined in the “Get Started” section below as they begin their EL journey.


Get Started

Knowing what you want to get out of experiential learning helps you pick experiences that matter.

📄 Complete the Preferences Identifier to figure out the skills and experience you want to gain. This will help you find opportunities that meet your needs and career goal.

screenshot of the Experiential Learning: Preferences Identifier

screenshot of the Experiential Learning Comparison Tool document

📄Review the Comparison Tool to compare common ways to gain experience and select opportunities that meet your needs.

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⚡️Get a Boost from AI!

Ask an AI tool like ChatGPT to suggest options that match your goals and preferences.

Sample prompt: “My career goal is [goal or target role], I want to build [these skills], I can spend [X hours/week], and I prefer [remote/self-paced]. Which experiential learning options would fit best?”

Find out if experiential learning is part of your program. Examples include capstone projects, clinical/field experience, industry projects, case studies, and simulations. To learn more, check your course descriptions and program guides on your degree page or ask your program mentor.

screenshot of internships and experiential learning guide cover page

📄Review the Internship & Experiential Learning Guide to explore each experiential learning pathway and discover where to find opportunities.

We encourage you to look for a variety of experiential learning opportunities. These can include: internships, micro-internships, volunteering, apprenticeships, fellowships, and more! You can start your search here:


Due to the burden of unpaid internships, WGU strongly encourages students to consider paid internships as completing an unpaid internship may cause significant financial challenges which may impact your ability to complete an internship. WGU only approves paid internships on Handshake.  

Additionally, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), research has revealed that paid internships lead to more job offers post-internship. In fact, students who completed an unpaid internship had the same number of job offers as students who did not complete any type of internship. This data demonstrates that being financially compensated for your internship may have an impact on your future career prospects and job offers.  

Experiential learning opportunities can be highly competitive. Treat each application with the same care and preparation you would for a professional job.

  • Read the posting carefully. Make sure you meet the minimum requirements. If not, consider other opportunities to build more skills and experience, like volunteering or simulations.
  • Tailor your résumé and cover letter.
  • Check spelling and grammar. Every email, form, and document reflects your professionalism. Pro Tip: Use Grammarly!
  • Be mindful of deadlines. Submit all materials on time.
  • Apply to multiple opportunities. Giving yourself options will increase your chances of success.

Screenshot of Experiential Learning: Success Checklist

📄Download the Career Success Checklist to get the most from your experiential learning, so you can learn more, make a good impression, and stand out to employers.

📄 Use the Career Growth Toolkit to reflect on your experiences, showcase your accomplishments, and grow your network.

Screenshot of Career Growth Toolkit Worksheet

⚡️Get a Boost from AI!

Ask an AI tool like ChatGPT to help you build résumé bullet points and interview talking points.

Remember to always review and edit the output to make sure it’s an honest reflection of your work!

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  • Sample résumé prep prompt: “I completed a [project or internship] where I [briefly describe what you did]. Help me identify my key accomplishments, the impact of my work, and possible metrics or results I can include. Then, help me write 2–3 strong résumé bullet points in results–action format, where each bullet begins with a past-tense action verb, leads with the result, and ends with the action I took to achieve it.”
  • Sample interview prep prompt: “I’m preparing for an interview for a [job title] position. I completed a [project or internship] where I [briefly describe what you did]. Help me identify 1-3 key stories I can use in the interview. For each one, outline: The situation and challenge I faced, the actions I took, the results or impact of my work, and how this experience connects to the skills or qualities employers look for in this role.”

If you’d like more support with experiential learning or have additional questions about this milestone, our career advisors are available to assist you. 

Contact us at careers@wgu.edu or read our FAQs.  

WGU has partnered with Riipen and HubSpot to offer project-based micro-internships to students in various programs.

Click below to learn about each partner program.

Our micro-internship career success resources will help you use what you learned in your micro-internship to grow your career.

Get started at the link below!

Featured Articles

Is it too late in the year to find internships?

Finding a great new job is almost never easy. A lot of factors come into play, including timing. On this week’s episode of the From Dorms to Desks Podcast, our cohosts focus on the issue of timing, specifically whether it’s …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
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Experiential Learning: Career Success Checklist

This checklist helps you succeed in micro-internships, volunteering, simulations, and other hands-on learning. It walks you through key steps to make your experience count, including setting goals, building connections, getting feedback, tracking your achievements, and more.

Tip: Keep this list …

Read more

How do I find an internship when I have no work experience? | From Dorms to Desks Podcast | ep49

On today’s From Dorms to Desks Podcast, we discuss how finding an internship or co-op role can feel like a huge hurdle, especially when you don’t have prior work experience to put on your resume. These positions are highly competitive, …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
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Career Resources

This checklist helps you succeed in micro-internships, volunteering, simulations, and other hands-on learning. It walks you through key steps to …

This toolkit will help you reflect on the skills and connections you built during your experiential learning. It provides actionable …

This helpful resource will help you compare common experiential learning paths and select opportunities that meet your needs.

To locate …

Download the Preferences Identifier document to better understand your experiential learning needs.

To locate the file, follow these steps:

Contact & Location

Phone
801-274-3280
Address

4001 S 700 East, #700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Career Service Hours

Monday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Tuesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Wednesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Thursday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Friday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Saturday by appointment only
Sunday by appointment only

Office hours nationwide are 6am MST to 7pm MST.  Appointment and drop-in hours are available on weekends. Please reach out to careers@wgu.edu for assistance at any time.