The Tulare County Probation Department partners with Fresno State University, Fresno Pacific University and College of Sequoias to provide students with the opportunity to gain invaluable practical experience in the Probation Profession.  Internships are beneficial because they help develop your professional aptitude, strengthen personal character, and provide a greater door to opportunity.

Why should you intern?

• Application of education and career exploration.  Internships are a great way to apply the knowledge from the classroom to real-world experience.
• Gain experience and increase marketability.  Having an internship gives your experience in the career field you want to pursue.
• Networking.  Having an internship benefits you in the working environment, and it also builds a professional network. 
• Professionalism.  Internships can provide students with the soft skills needed in the workplace and in leadership positions.
• Learn how a professional workplace operates.  You may hear about or read about how organizations thrive and function, but nothing compares to living the actual experience.
• Build your resume.  Most organizations and jobs that you apply to following graduation want employees to have some sort of professional experience, even for entry-level jobs.
• Gain professional feedback.  Not only will you be helping out the organization you intern with, they'll help you out too. 
• Learn from others.  It might seem like common sense - you're interning to learn skills, after all - but don't forget to purposefully observe others in their job role to learn the ins and outs of different positions.  
• Figure out what you like and don't like.  While everyone wants to walk away from an internship feeling excited and passionate about the experience, there's a silver-lining to be found if you didn't enjoy the job: you'll know what you don't like.