Internships
What is an Internship?
An internship is an experience where a student takes on a responsible role within an organization. Students learn through observation and reflection of what occurred during the experience. An internship allows students to apply theory and skills in a job situation and is a solid educational learning experience. Internships are a way to:
- Gain Practical Experience
- Solidify career choices
- Obtain additional academic credit
- Increase your knowledge and skills
- Test classroom theories in the “real world”
- Take control of what you learn
- Contribute to an organization or company
- Do something in an off-campus setting
- Earn money (possibly)
- Increase your community involvement
- Network and make contacts
- Obtain on-the-job training
Why are internships important?
As mentioned above, there are several reasons or advantages to securing an internship. With today’s competitive job market, employers are looking for candidates who have prior work experience. For full-time college students, obtaining this “prior work experience” is often extremely difficult. An internship most often qualifies as this needed work experience. An internship can increase your qualifications and make your candidacy standout from the larger applicant pool. Remember that internships allow an intern to learn more about the business world, government sector or non-profit sector. An internship emphasizes learning on the job rather than earning money, and provides a chance to see how you like your chosen field.
An intern learns more about the value of teamwork and develops strong interpersonal skills. And lastly, an intern has an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and develop practical skills. From a job search perspective, seeking and securing an internship will improve your job search skills as you will have already experienced the ups and downs of a search.
To demonstrate how an internship can increase your competitiveness in the job market, consider these statistics. In 2005, 55.6% of all recent college graduates hired for full-time entry level positions had completed an internship. National statistics also indicate that over 50% of all interns are re-hired full-time after graduation.
Internship Postings
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