Internships

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An internship as defined by dicionary.com is 1.) the state or condition of being an intern 2.) the period during which a person serves as an intern 3.) any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession 4.) a position as a participant in such a program: She has accepted an internship in a law firm 5.) any period of time during which a beginner acquires experience in an occupation, profession, or pursuit: She had a long internship before starting her own recording studio. [1]

An internship, according to the Berkeley Career Center, is defined more relatively as an effective way to connect your academic experience with the professional work arena. It allow students to gain valuable exposure to the workplace, provides the opportunity for skill development, and gives your a competitive edge in the job search. [2]

Ultimately, an internship is a way for college students to test out an industry or career path, as they make plans for a career after college. Many employers consider an internship as an extended job interview, where they can test your competency, your work ethic, and your ability to excel within their office. According to a 2006 study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers extended job offers to more than 70 percent of their interns.

Internships have become a necessity in the job search, and students are going to great lengths to secure top internship experience.

Steps to Securing an Internship:

In your search for an internship, there are 7 key steps to securing an internship you will be happy with.

1. Start Early - This is very important, as many of the highly coveted positions for the summer are filled 7 or 8 months in advance. Begin to gather cursory data on what companies you would like to intern for and in what cities. This will give you a starting point and allow you to ask you advisors the right questions.

2. Meet with Career Center Advisor to Discuss Options - Another great starting point is to visit your on campus career advisors. They have valuable insight about career development, and can connect you to past alumni who currently work in your career field. Additionally, they can inform you of on campus recruiting or job fairs you can attend.

3. Prepare your Resume and Interview Preparation - As you continue your search, it is important to create a professional resume, highlighting the skills and abilities you possess which will be beneficial to the employer who hires you for the internship. There are a number of tutorial books for resume revisions as well as interview preparation tools available online or at the local library.

4. Narrow Down your Choice - Apply to multiple companies that you are interested in interning for, as the you want to give yourself a number of options. Also, the time frame for hiring decisions varies by company. Putting all of your eggs in one basket could be a detrimental to securing an internship for the summer, as if it falls through and you are not selected to intern, you always want a backup plan.

5. Arrange Multiple Interviews - Along the same lines, use interview to see what companies you like best. In all cases, it never hurts to see more than one option.

6. Finalize your Internship - Accept the internship as soon as you get the offer from the company you are most interested in. Make sure to finalize any details, pay (which most internships are unpaid), start date, course credit, compliance requirements (primarily in financial internships), etc.

7. Send a Thank you card - For good measure, send a thank you to the hiring manager expressing your gratitude for their time and for the offer.

[3]

Tips for Internship Searches:

There are a number of tools available to college students to begin their internship search. The easiest tool is to look online on any number of search sites such as MonsterTrak, Vault.com, CareerBuilder Campus, and many more. They are very comprehensive and easy to identify available positions in your desired city.

Another tool to assist with your internship search, are to apply for internship programs such as the University of Dreams, the Washington Center, or InRoads. These companies work directly with students to help them secure an internship in their chosen field, and provide opportunities for students to spend a set amount of time in an unfamiliar city.

Networking with people in your extended network is an easy way to gain access to internship opportunities and get priority access to worthwhile internship positions.

Summary:

In summation, an internship is a great stepping stone for college students to gain experience in their field of study. According to NACE, 85% of students say they will have at least 1 internship before they graduate and it is becoming a prerequisite for an entry-level job.

  1. ^ Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=internship
  2. ^ Berkeley Career Center http://career.berkeley.edu/Internships/Internships.stm
  3. ^ Berkeley Career Center http://w2.byuh.edu/career/docs/documents/new8%20Steps%20to%20Securing%20an%20Internship.pdf
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