Why do an Internship?

Students planning to enter the workforce should complement their academic studies and preparation with a variety of experiences, such as study abroad, community service, undergraduate research, participation in student organizations, and internships. There are numerous benefits and advantages of internships and other experiential learning, including:

  • Gaining industry knowledge you won’t learn anywhere else.
  • Accumulate evidence of your abilities.
  • Make professional contacts.
  • Improve your confidence.
  • Possibly land a full-time job.

Criteria for an Experience to Be Defined as an Internship

To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

  • The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  • The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  • The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  • There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  • There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  • There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  • There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.

Looking for an internship or practicum?

In addition to tapping your network, relying on personal referrals, targeting companies, and attending career fairs, an online search can prove beneficial. Here are a few sites that many have secured internships through: