BETHLEHEM, PA--College students who participate in an internship program can expect to reap multiple benefits from the experience--including a shot at a full-time job, according to according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Employers responding to NACE's 2007 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey reported that they offered full-time jobs to nearly two out of three of their interns. More than 70 percent of those offers were accepted; nearly half of the interns came on board as full-time hires. Overall, employers reported that nearly 31 percent of all their new college graduate hires from the Class of 2006 came from their own internship program.

"Employers see their internship programs as an effective way of identifying and connecting with talent," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. "These programs are a way for the employer and the intern to test each other to see if there is a good match."

Even if the internship doesn't result in a job offer, chances are good that the experience will enhance the student's chances of securing employment elsewhere. Although respondents reported that nearly 31 percent of their new college hires came from their own internship program, they also reported that 62 percent had internship experience.

"Employers prize relevant work experience even if the student served an internship with another organization," says Mackes.

Besides a potential job offer, internships can pay in other ways--including actual compensation.

Among employers who pay their interns, the average hourly wage to an intern at the bachelor's degree level was $15.99. By field, those studying the engineering disciplines averaged the highest pay--$17.12 per hour.

The best way to find an employer with an internship?

"In most cases, college students don't have to go further than their own college campus to find employers with internships," said Mackes. "Employers reported that on-campus recruiting, career fairs, and faculty contacts were their most effective methods for finding interns. Students can start by checking with their campus career center for information about employers seeking interns."

About NACE's Recruiting Benchmarks Survey: NACE's 2007 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey was conducted from January through May 1, 2007, to gather information regarding employer's college recruiting programs and internship and cooperative education programs.

The survey was sent to 1,212 employers holding NACE membership; 276, or 22.8 percent, responded to the portion of the survey covering internship and cooperative education programs. By sector, 42.4 percent represented manufacturing organizations, 46 percent were from service-sector organizations, 7.6 percent were government/nonprofit employers, and 4 percent could not be identified by sector. By region of the country, 26.4 percent were from the Midwest, 21 percent were from the Northeast, 34.8 percent were from the South, and 13.8 percent were from the West.

Article courtesy of NACE. About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press/.

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on September 19, 2007 at 4:13 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Provided By: Associated Content, Inc.

Internship, a word heard so often yet many students do not know exactly what one is or why they should try and get one. An internship is basically an entry-level job in a company that can be paid as well as unpaid.

Posted by CandiceArnold on September 18, 2007 at 2:53 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Handling the Financial Difficulties of Working Without Pay
Provided By: Associated Content, Inc.

Internships are sometime the only way to break into a particular career field, and sometimes those internships are unpaid. Unless you have substantial savings, you'll have to figure out a way to survive your unpaid internship while still getting the most from your experience.

Posted by CandiceArnold on September 18, 2007 at 2:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Provided By: Associated Content, Inc.

It's not actually a job but it counts as experience. It can be paid or unpaid and in a wide variety of areas from journalism to the nonprofit sector, to media. What is it? It's an internship, something that most college students thrive for during the course of their college career to enhance their post-graduation results, build their resume and tack on real-world experience to the knowledge and theory they learn in the classroom.

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on September 14, 2007 at 2:51 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Your internship application may be one of the first times you are asked to give professional references. Professional references are distinct from personal or character references. A professional reference can comment on your abilities and performance in relation to work.

Smart people begin to cultivate references long before they need them. Generally, employers ask for at least three and will check with at least two of those -- and perhaps some you don't list.

Where can you find good professional references for a first internship? They generally come from three areas. One, of course, is from any kind of professional work you did. It likely won't be a full-blown job, but it could be volunteering, being selected as finalist for a scholarship or doing some kind of part-time work.

When the Detroit Free Press covers local elections, we hire as many as twenty students to work with us on election night. I bring in journalism students. I tell the students that working the election can be an early résumé builder and could even lead to a limited reference. I pay attention to how they do and ask other people at the paper how they did. If someone fails to show or slacks off, I do not ask them back. If they hustle and excel, I try to invite them back and can give a little reference on them. Professional references are your best ones.

Next best are professors, advisers, placement directors and other professionals in the university community who can say good things about your work in class or around campus. They might be asked about your ability to meet deadlines, the quality of your work, your work ethic, and the leadership you demonstrate.

Third best are employers who can comment on your work habits at non-journalism jobs.

Do not list fellow students who supervised you on extracurricular activities. There is a good chance that the student you list as a reference might be a competitor for the internship. For all we know, it is a boyfriend or girlfriend. Or an ex. Cultivate professors or advisers instead.

If your résumé is getting too crowded for one page, use a second sheet just for references. Most editors will still see this as a one-page résumé. Don't say "References available upon request." Just list them.

Article by Joe Grimm, Recruiting and Development Editor for the Detroit Free Press. This is adapted from the new book, "Breaking In: The www.JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships." For details, visit www.jobspage.com/

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on September 12, 2007 at 11:43 AM | Leave a Comment (0)