All about internships

What is an internship?

An internship is an opportunity for supervised practical experience in a career field of interest. Internships can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, and are offered by a wide variety of businesses and organizations. Internships are always temporary.

Why do an internship?

An internship can be an important part of your university experience. It can help to balance academic work with practical, hands-on experience. It is a wonderful way to learn more about a career field, job type, or work environment.

The internship experience can help you in several ways:

• You learn more about what a full-time job in a particular career might be like on a daily basis, helping you to make on-going adjustments to your career plans.

• You gain valuable experience for your resume. Employers really do care whether you have worked in a field before, even if it was just as an intern.

• You will gain confidence in your own abilities.

• You will meet people in the industry, and gain professional contacts.

• Internship supervisors can be valuable as references during a subsequent job search. Before your internship ends, ask your supervisor whether he/she would be willing to be a reference for you, either over the telephone or by reference letter.

Remember that even if you find that you don’t like a particular career area after all, that information can be extremely valuable – better than finding out after you graduate!

What kind of internship should I look for?

Explore internship opportunities that match your skills and career interests. Remember, an internship that is great for one person might not be right for another. Search for opportunities that complement your academic program, help you explore a new direction, or challenge you to grow in new ways.

Determine your priorities: Do you primarily want career-related experience? The opportunity to travel? Funds to support tuition costs? Sometimes you will have to make choices among these items. If you have thought about these questions ahead of time, you will be better prepared to make a decision.

When should I do an internship?

You can do an internship at any point while you are in college. In fact, we increasingly hear stories of recent college graduates who are doing internships as a way into a career field. We suggest, however, that students not do internships until they have completed their freshman year.

Internships are available during the summer months as well as during academic semesters. Summer internships might be either full-time or part-time. Internships during the academic year should only be part-time. Be sure to find out what the expected time commitment is during the job search and interview process.

When should I start looking?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of internship experience you are looking for. Many employers with formalized, competitive programs begin the selection process several months in advance. Some might have application deadlines a year or more in advance. Most employers, however, start looking for summer interns between late January and late March. If you have your resume prepared and you know what kind of experience you are looking for, you will be ready when opportunities arise.

Internships for fall and spring are usually advertised either very early in the semester, or late in the preceding semester.

The key to finding an internship that’s right for you is preparation and a timely start in the process.

Can I get academic credit for my internship?

This depends on your college. Some colleges do not give academic credit for any internships. Others, however, may have internships that are an integral part of the academic programs. Any student interested in receiving academic credit should speak with his or her academic advisor, department head, or internship coordinator in the career services office.

What is a waiver of liability, and do I need to do anything about it?

In rare instances employers will ask for this. Chances are good that you will not encounter the issue, but if you do run into it, check with your career services office for more information. You may want to check your student health insurance to see what is covered, and discuss this with the prospective employer, as well. Also, be sure you understand thoroughly any waiver documents that you sign.

How can I get more information on internships?

Your career services office is usually an excellent place to start. Depending on the size of your college, your career services office may even have a dedicated internship coordinator. Their resources will typically include a listing of current internship openings, a list of previous internship employers, and a list of students and alumni who have done internships and are willing to share their experiences with you. Remember, you can always learn from those who have gone before, and it won’t cost you anything to use this built-in network.

This article is adapted from materials published by the Boston University Office of Career Services [http://www.bu.edu/careers], Boston, Massachusetts, and is used here by permission.