Internships

For a long time, college has been seen as the key to getting a good job. As the world changes rapidly and technology improves, competition in the workplace creates a higher demand for internships and extra experience. The skills learned in an internship give students a head start in the working world. Statistics show that college graduates have a wider range of opportunities in the job market and they will earn a substantially greater sum of money in their lifetimes. According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007, a college graduate with a Bachelor’s degree can expect to earn at least $1 million more than a high school graduate in his/her lifetime. With the standards changing in the business world, the work force today has put a lot of pressure on people to not only get a college degree, but to have experience when entering the work force. While many students may work jobs during college, the experiences employers are looking for is specific to the business or industry they represent. Many students get exposure in their field of study through entering into internships.

Attending college is a crucial step, but you can greatly improve your classroom knowledge through internships. An internship is a work-related learning experience for students wishing to obtain hands on work experience in a certain occupational field. Most internships are temporary and only last approximately three months. Being involved in an internship has many advantages. It helps build individual responsibility and gives one an opportunity to gain industry-specific experience. In the job market today, most employers prefer that you have some experience before being hired. In fact, jobs are more likely to hire a person after their internship is completed. It will also make your resume stand out among the many applications which they receive.

Students can participate in a variety of internships during the school year, or the summer terms. Many internships are paid work experience although some may not involve pay. University of Oregon has a career center which helps students locate a company that will allow them to gain some experience in the field of their study. The career center also has faculty that helps provide students with resources, assist them in determining goals, facilitates research for the process of selecting possible job situations to accommodate an internship, and challenge them to reach their full potential.

Internships can be very beneficial to the students by giving them on the job experience which may help them in their decisions regarding career choices. If the internship in their field of study is fulfilling they may pursue a similar position following graduation.

http://www.collegeview.com/college_internships.html

http://career.uoregon.edu/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2002-07-18-degree-dollars.htm

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/starting-points/156.html

http://www.intstudy.com/articles/nusinter.htm