Overall, Kendra really believes in the value of internships and summer employment. As Kendra notes, “Having different experiences really allows you to be more sure about your decisions of what you want to do with your life.”

As we saw with Kendra, after a few months of interning and working part-time, she was able to learn about her industry, pick up valuable job skills, meet people in her intended career field, and eventually, achieve full-time employment. As we examine internships and summer employment in more detail, you will see how you can benefit from these experiences, too.

Using Internships to “Jump-Start” Your Career

According to the National Society for Experiential Education, an internship is defined as a “carefully monitored work or service experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning through the experience.”

Some of the key words listed here are intentional learning goals . Internships are viewed as an educational tool. Basically, your internship at a company or organization is a twofold transaction: you are there to get experience in a certain field or line of work, and the company or organization has an extra person around for a while to pitch in. The internship may or may not include a modest stipend. The internship might also earn you some college credits.

Structured internships are most often provided by mid-sized to larger companies. Many of these types of intern programs are offered by big-name companies which look good on resumes. So be prepared for competition which rivals that of full-time employment.

Should You Consider a Structured Internship Program?

This type of internship can be especially productive if:

1) You are interested in developing specific skills. Internships are often skill-specific .

For instance, as with Kendra, if you are majoring in broadcasting and you want some experience in the various facets of production, then an internship may be a great place to start. It could be with a television station, a video production facility or an advertising/public relations agency.

Regardless of your major, an internship can provide your first chance to take the theory learned in the classroom and see how it applies—or does

 

The above is an excerpt from The Last Guide to Finding a Great Internship You'll Ever Need, which is available for sale for $17 in our bookstore or for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. Students know that good experiences helps to build a good resume and that good resumes help you land interviews, yet how many of us have been shown how to interview well so that we can get hired? Written by Keith F. Luscher specifically for the job hunting students who use CollegeRecruiter.com. To get hired, you must know how to interview well. Read this book and you will. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

Career Videos