up nearly 40 percent since the early 1990s. The greatest demand for internships appears to be in many of the emerging fields: the environment, health care, communications and international business. More companies are offering internship programs, partly to make up for reduced labor but also because they find these programs help in identifying potential employees who are compatible to the people, culture and goals of their organizations. It is often less costly, more efficient and more insightful to “test” the abilities and attitudes of a temporary intern, rather than to interview a person two or three times and then hire that person on full time and hope for the best.

Another reason why internships are growing is that more people are taking them—and not just college students. As I previously mentioned, career changers and displaced professionals are a growing segment of those seeking experiences in different fields, in making new contacts, in gaining new skills and in being able to better evaluate their interests before—and not after—making a commitment.

The Real Question: How to Get an Internship

With the number of internships increasing all the time, there are more opportunities out there now than there ever were. Getting into one of these structured internship programs is not a whole lot different from applying for a job. For different programs at different companies, institutions and organizations, exact application procedures and requirements can vary. However, you can almost bet on needing the routine stuff: a resume and a cover letter.

Here are some steps you can take before applying:

1) Decide what kind of skills or experience you need the most.

The answer to this question either screams out at you or is quite fuzzy. If you are unsure of what field you should pursue, ask a teacher, counselor, mentor or even a friend who shares a common frame of reference. You can even do a survey of your skills. Determine how you would rank yourself in the following areas:

• Technical—be it general computer skills or those specific to your career

 

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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