But did you know that you can get experience, make valuable networking connections, and try out careers by participating in internships and volunteer activities? In fact, internships are becoming an increasingly popular hiring tool for companies. Approximately 47 percent of employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) said that they prefer job candidates to get their experience through an internship (including cooperative education programs).
DID You KnoW?
Ninety-five percent of employers surveyed by
NACE say that “candidate experience is a factor
in hiring decisions.”
NACE say that “candidate experience is a factor
in hiring decisions.”
WHAt Are InternsHIPs?
“Internships provide short-term, practical experience for students, recent graduates, and people changing careers,” according to the Occupational Outlook Quarterly. They last from 10 weeks to 12 months and are designed primarily for college stu-dents (although some are open to high school students and career changers). Many internships are unpaid, while some provide a stipend or academic credit. Internships provide you with an excellent way to try out a career, learn valuable job and soft skills, and build a network of contacts in your industry.
Completing an internship increases your chances
of getting a job that you’ll enjoy. Not only do you
discover your likes and dislikes, but you enter the
job market with experience that relates to your
career goals.
of getting a job that you’ll enjoy. Not only do you
discover your likes and dislikes, but you enter the
job market with experience that relates to your
career goals.
Your experiences as an intern will vary greatly depending on your employer and whether the program is sanctioned by your college. Some interns fetch coffee and open mail, while others get handson experience working on a variety of critical projects. Obviously, the best type of internship is one where you receive hands-on experience—ideally in more than one department at the company. But even if you end up performing clerical duties, you should make the most of your internship by using it as an opportunity to expand your network and make future employment contacts.
Best PlACes to FInD
InternsHIPs
InternsHIPs
According to the 2007 Recruiting Benchmarks
Survey from NACE, the following venues
are the best places to find internships:
on-campus recruiting events, career fairs,
campus career centers, and via assistance
from college faculty.
Survey from NACE, the following venues
are the best places to find internships:
on-campus recruiting events, career fairs,
campus career centers, and via assistance
from college faculty.
HoW Do I loCAte InternsHIPs?
Internships can be found throughout the world, but for your purposes, you will probably prefer to locate an internship that is near your home or school. If you are in college, your school (both your academic department and career services office) most likely has a formal internship program established with companies in your area. If possible, it’s a good idea to participate in this type of program because colleges work closely with employers to ensure that you are benefiting from the internship, not just running errands for company staff or performing repetitive tasks such as data entry. Most colleges have established guidelines for interns that companies and other organizations must agree to in order to participate in the program. These include offering preliminary training to interns, conducting periodic meetings with college intern advisers and supervisors to talk about the intern’s progress/learning objectives, and requiring employers to complete an
evaluation form about the work of the intern at the end of the internship.
Other ways to learn about internships include cold-contacting companies, conducting research at public libraries and on the Internet (e-Scholar, http://www.studentjobs.gov/d_Internship.asp, is a great place to start if you want to intern at a government agency), making contacts at job fairs or other networking settings, or contacting professional associations. Additionally, many large companies have formal internship programs that help identify and develop future employees. Many of these programs offer great practical experience. For example, interns at Microsoft “are given real work with actual problems to solve… [and are] charged with enabling product teams to deliver world-class software on schedule.”
evaluation form about the work of the intern at the end of the internship.
Other ways to learn about internships include cold-contacting companies, conducting research at public libraries and on the Internet (e-Scholar, http://www.studentjobs.gov/d_Internship.asp, is a great place to start if you want to intern at a government agency), making contacts at job fairs or other networking settings, or contacting professional associations. Additionally, many large companies have formal internship programs that help identify and develop future employees. Many of these programs offer great practical experience. For example, interns at Microsoft “are given real work with actual problems to solve… [and are] charged with enabling product teams to deliver world-class software on schedule.”
HOW Do I APPLY For An INTERNSHIP?
How you apply for an internship will depend largely on whether you participate in a formal program or find an internship through cold calling, at a career fair, or via another method. But once you find an opportunity, you will most likely be asked to submit an application, resume, cover letter, and personal references, among other documentation. It’s a good idea to apply as early as possible because internships have become popular methods to learn about careers these days. Industry experts suggest that you begin
getting your materials together around Thanksgiving if you are seeking a summer internship. If you seem like an appealing candidate, the company or organization will ask you to participate in an interview. The interview will be a lot like a job interview. The employer asks you questions about your interests, skills, and experiences and generally tries to determine if you would be a good fit for the organization. During the interview, you should also be sure to ask questions about what the internship will entail. Ask about your job responsibilities, your work hours, and the overall goals of the internship. It’s important to get everything in writing, so that you will have documentation available if the internship doesn’t turn out to be all that is advertised. Overall, the entire process will go more smoothly if you participate in a formal, supervised internship.
getting your materials together around Thanksgiving if you are seeking a summer internship. If you seem like an appealing candidate, the company or organization will ask you to participate in an interview. The interview will be a lot like a job interview. The employer asks you questions about your interests, skills, and experiences and generally tries to determine if you would be a good fit for the organization. During the interview, you should also be sure to ask questions about what the internship will entail. Ask about your job responsibilities, your work hours, and the overall goals of the internship. It’s important to get everything in writing, so that you will have documentation available if the internship doesn’t turn out to be all that is advertised. Overall, the entire process will go more smoothly if you participate in a formal, supervised internship.
Internships lead to
employment:
employment:
Companies are increasingly using their
internship programs to spotlight potential
employees, according to the 2008 Experiential
Education Survey from NACE. Employers
surveyed by NACE reported that they
extended job offers to 70 percent of their
interns—an increase of 13 percent since
2001. “Nearly 90 percent of employers who
use their programs to hire say they are very
or extremely satisfied with their interns, and
employers consistently name the internship
program as one of the most effective tools
they have for hiring new college graduates,”
says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.
“Employers see results with these programs.”
internship programs to spotlight potential
employees, according to the 2008 Experiential
Education Survey from NACE. Employers
surveyed by NACE reported that they
extended job offers to 70 percent of their
interns—an increase of 13 percent since
2001. “Nearly 90 percent of employers who
use their programs to hire say they are very
or extremely satisfied with their interns, and
employers consistently name the internship
program as one of the most effective tools
they have for hiring new college graduates,”
says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.
“Employers see results with these programs.”
The Type of Internship Programs
There are several types of internships, according to WetFeet.com, a career resource Web site. They include cooperative education, externships, practicums, service learning, field experience, and apprenticeships.
Cooperative Education
This is the most common type of internship. Students participate in a formal program that has been created as a partnership between the college and a company. You will get the opportunity to work in fields that match your major and often receive college credit for your experiences.
Externships
Externships are a lot like job shadowing, and they last only one to three weeks. They are most popular in the legal and medical fields and are unpaid. According to WetFeet, externships “enable you to investigate a career field without making a longterm commitment.” If you participate in an externship, you will follow a worker during a typical day on the job. You will get to learn about the worker’s job duties and work environment, the pros and cons of his or her job, and the skills that are needed to be successful in that type of career.
Practicum
This is the most common type of internship. Students participate in a formal program that has been created as a partnership between the college and a company. You will get the opportunity to work in fields that match your major and often receive college credit for your experiences.
Externships
Externships are a lot like job shadowing, and they last only one to three weeks. They are most popular in the legal and medical fields and are unpaid. According to WetFeet, externships “enable you to investigate a career field without making a longterm commitment.” If you participate in an externship, you will follow a worker during a typical day on the job. You will get to learn about the worker’s job duties and work environment, the pros and cons of his or her job, and the skills that are needed to be successful in that type of career.
Practicum
In a practicum, you get the opportunity to apply what you are learning in college to a realworld project. These group or individual projects are organized by your academic adviser or department head to help you get real-world experience in a field and develop relationships with potential employers.
Service Learning
Service learning is a community-based form of internship in which you develop a project that improves your community. This might involve working at a homeless shelter, assisting in a literacy program at a local high school, cleaning up a park, or helping elderly people get to medical appointments. Service-learning projects typically consist of three steps. First, you work with your adviser to establish the goals and time duration of your endeavor. Then you actually perform the work. Finally, you study your experiences and present conclusions about the effectiveness of your work.
Field Experience
Participating in fieldwork is an excellent way for people pursuing careers in science, anthropology, sociology, or other fields to gain hands-on experience. It is a good way to apply all the theory you learn in class to real-world situations. Field experiences can vary greatly based on your major and school. For example, anthropology students at Saint Louis University recently participated in fieldwork that studied the social behavior and ecology of the mantled howler monkey in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Elementary-education students at Humboldt State University observed and participated in social studies and science classes at local elementary schools. Students in Misericordia University’s Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Program received the opportunity “to apply academically acquired knowledge in assessing, planning, and implementing occupational therapy intervention programs for consumersin a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional service settings.”
Apprenticeships
Participating in an apprenticeship will help you to learn a high-skilled trade such as plumbing technology, clothing design, or electronics technology. Apprenticeships usually combine both in-school education and practical experience. They offer wages that increase as you gain more experience. Apprenticeships can last anywhere from one to five years.
Volunteer opportunities
If you have trouble landing an internship, you should try to volunteer at a company or organization where you might want to work after graduation. Approximately 3.3 million college students volunteered in 2005, according to College Students Helping America, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service. This is an increase of 600,000 people from 2002. Volunteering is more informal than an internship, although you will be asked to commit to working a certain number of days or hours per week. You will not receive a salary or academic credit for this work. Nearly every company or organization can use volunteers, so it will probably be much easier to land a volunteer position than an internship.
Apprenticeships
Participating in an apprenticeship will help you to learn a high-skilled trade such as plumbing technology, clothing design, or electronics technology. Apprenticeships usually combine both in-school education and practical experience. They offer wages that increase as you gain more experience. Apprenticeships can last anywhere from one to five years.
Volunteer opportunities
If you have trouble landing an internship, you should try to volunteer at a company or organization where you might want to work after graduation. Approximately 3.3 million college students volunteered in 2005, according to College Students Helping America, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service. This is an increase of 600,000 people from 2002. Volunteering is more informal than an internship, although you will be asked to commit to working a certain number of days or hours per week. You will not receive a salary or academic credit for this work. Nearly every company or organization can use volunteers, so it will probably be much easier to land a volunteer position than an internship.
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