Internships are essential to getting the experience you need to start your career. If someone would have told me that almost every job prefers that you have done an intern I would have started interning my sophomore year. Most internship's are non-paid and sometimes very tedious. However, the outcome in the end is that you'll have experience in your corner when its time to knock out those interviews. One thing to keep in mind is make sure you're getting the most out of your internship. It's okay to get coffee, file a few papers, and lick some envelopes. However, make sure you are letting the employer know that you are there to learn. I actually knew a person who done all of those things and more. One day her boss' cat had gotten scared to death and ran under a car not wanting to come out. Therefore, she called upon her loyal intern on her day off to come and rescue the cat. She came of course, crawled almost all the way under the car becoming covered with oil and dirt and saved the cat. The next day at the office her boss announced to everyone that she was the new Production Assistant. Although that would be great if that could happen to everybody but chances are very slim to none. Therefore, shadow someone at the company who is in a position that you someday hope to be in. Ask if you could even try some of the hands-on skills to help you build the proficiency you need to perform in your career because thats where all of the experience will come from.