What is an internship? An internship is a carefully monitored work or volunteer experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience. Characteristics of an internship: Relates directly to a student’s academic major or major-related career goal Contributes to the student’s personal and professional development through challenging work assignments Provides appropriate supervision both by an on-site professional and through guidance from faculty Reflective and evaluative in nature Can be paid, unpaid, for-credit or not-for-credit Is most successful when the student, academic department, and employer all share responsibility in making it a valuable experience However, an internship is not: Routine, repetitive tasks unrelated to identified learning goals A job that does not offer career related learning opportunities and experiences An unsupervised, unevaluated experience
Benefits of an internship Students who participate in an internship experience have a definite advantage, as experience related to your field is very important to future employers. In addition to that definite advantage, there are also many other benefits that come from participating in an internship, including: Allows hands-on career exploration Exposes the professional work environment Reinforces classroom learning Enhances employment marketability Increases likelihood of full-time employment after graduation Creates opportunities to network with other members of the organization Provides performance feedback and mentoring Develops self-confidence and professionalism Builds transferable skill set Narrows career focus and clarifies career goals Develops understanding of professional jargon Teaches what is expected in a particular field
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