Preparing for a Career: The Importance of Internships in College By Suzanne Shaffer with Ianni Le
Many students start college unsure about what kind of career they want and the best path to get there. While coursework can help them figure this out, internships are also key. Students discover what they love through their classes, but there’s nothing like real-world experience to clarify what they’re looking for in a job.
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Prospective employers value internship experience, and internships often lead to an offer for a full-time position. With all the competition for jobs after graduation, your student can’t afford to ignore the importance of internships!
How do internships work and where do students find them? The purpose of an internship is to provide a meaningful learning opportunity for the student. Internships may be paid or unpaid and the student may or may not receive academic credit for them. Sometimes an internship connects very directly with a student’s college coursework. The company or organization also benefits because they can supplement their workforce with students, some of whom will eventually become permanent hires. Though internships may require the student to perform what might seem like menial tasks, those tasks help the student gather information about the job and/or industry — and are a practical reminder that we all start out on the ground floor. The campus career center is a primary source for locating internships; companies that love
to hire students from the school will actively recruit through job/ career fairs and online listings. The career center can also help your student with internship-related tasks: resumes, cover letters and interview tips. Professors are another source for internship leads — just one more reason for your student to cultivate meaningful relationships with professors. Handshake is an excellent website that specializes in helping college students find internships. Your student can also check online internship databases like Internships.com, WayUp.com and YouTern.com. Last but not least, encourage your student to get on LinkedIn and interact with their connections. (If they don’t have a LinkedIn account yet, now’s the time to create one!)
Internships offer these benefits: º The opportunity to “try on” a career before applying for and accepting a “real” job
º A chance to identify areas where they may need to take additional classes related to their career interests before graduation
º Higher starting salaries based on career-specific work experience
Fall 2021
