not apply—to the real world. If you get into an internship program, make sure that specific goals are set and understood between you and your employer. You may go into it hoping to gain some specific experience or skill, but that may not be the goal in the mind of the employer. Understand that many larger firms are taking on interns to compensate for their reduced staffs. However, this doesn't mean that you are there solely to do mindless busywork. While some drudgery is to be expected, the bottom line is, you are there to learn—not to be exploited . So try to establish the goal up front.

2) You are exploring a career in a specific field.

Perhaps you want to know what it's like to work in a certain kind of profession or organization. An internship can give you a lot of on-the-job experience. In fact, it is becoming popular for many people—not just college students—who are thinking about changing careers to opt to do some internships in that particular field before making a final decision as to their futures.

3) You want to build relationships with people within a particular professional community.

Choosing an internship for this purpose can make a lot of sense. When I began to meet more people within the public relations/communications field, a startling revelation occurred to me: these people all know each other!

As you probably are aware by now, in some areas such as communications, film and media as well as certain professions and industries, these close relationships are very common. Structured internships can give you an introduction into these existing networks.

Further, these programs are an excellent way to meet a mentor who can continue to help and advise you after your internship ends. Many internships give students the opportunity for one-on-one guidance with a professional in the field. If you make use of your time to develop a connection with your mentor, this relationship can then form the basis for future support.

It is also important to stay in touch with all the people with whom you work. When your time of service is over, get names and addresses, and seek opportunities to keep the relationships alive.

4) You realize compensation is not always financial.

A key message of this chapter—and of this book—is about investing your time today for a payoff tomorrow. Waiting tables or flipping burgers may yield you a modest paycheck, and you can still develop interpersonal

 

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.

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