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Anonymous
Unregistered
What sorts of internships have you gotten while still an undergrad that were BENEFICIAL later on?
Top internship companies of 2008 included Microsoft, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, etc.
Pretty much the top rated corporations for business practices nationwide. But there are tons of regional small business and startups that often have better internship opportunities than corps.
Experiences?
Anonymous
Unregistered
I think all types of internships are beneficial in the long run. I mean, anything to differentiate you from other candidates and show that you have real life experience is going to help get that job.
Personally, I try to work with larger companies because their carries clout and start-ups would be more willing to hire someone who has experience with established firms.
Anonymous
Unregistered
Haven't done any internships just yet, but I'd really like to. Sometimes recruits from Boeing and Lockheed Martin will stop by to tell engineering students about doing internships with them but since I'm pursuing civil/environmental engineering, I'd rather look towards a company that deals more with construction than defense.
I'm told that it's a good idea to do internships starting in your sophomore/junior years. Is this true? If so then I need to get on the ball.
Anonymous
Unregistered
Sophomore/junior year internships are extremely important. I heard that your junior year internship is actually the most important one because, ideally, the place your intern at will offer you a job for the coming summer after you graduate.
I found most of my internships by browsing online and without doing on campus recruiting. There are ton of opportunities and programs available. I'd suggest picking about 10 companies that are in the field you're interested in and searching their websites' Careers sections.
Anonymous
Unregistered
Internships are an iffy proposition. Many times they are not worth much,
except to you. That is, the experience lets you see whether you are really
cut out for the type of job you are studying for. Internships are not really
worth much for grad school either. High scores on grad tests are top.
Students think an internship looks good on a resume, but other experiences
are much worthwhile if they show a diverse educational learning experience.
Many employers are looking for students who can show they can handle pressure
and do well under adverse conditions. Not fluffy internships.
If you are still bent on doing an internship, do it for a company that has a
record of making job offers to at least some interns.
Chrissy C.
Anonymous
Unregistered
I've got the internship in my Sophomore. It's really a great opportunity for every student to adopt what they learn in school into the real world. I can see myself that it's really bright when I've got internship. What I have learned in class is seem practical then because we can use what is from internship to reflect what we are learning. For example, I study finance and banking, and my internship is at the bank. I can see some of my friend did not understand what the lecturer or professor said in class. However, I can get the picture of what they are talking. One more, I can use what I learned in class to facilitate what I am doing in my job.
Anonymous
Unregistered
I interned at a variety of places, from a tiny t-shirt company in NYC to the annual Prague Writer's Festival. I think all were beneficial to me; I got college credit for them, and they still (several years after I graduated from college) are listed on my resume and are often discussed in interviews at some length.
It depends of course what you are looking for: do you want a job to result directly (as in, you get promoted to a paid position) from the internship? Real life experience? Network contacts for the future? Etc. For me, all of those things and more were enormous benefits in my later life, especially as a writer/editor (right now, for example, I'm at a cool company called [url=http://www.myigrad.com]iGrad[/url] that actually helps answer career and finance questions for college students just like this one - go figure! - and in my interview, I focused on how useful my internships at startups were to me).
I interned three times during college; one turned into a full-time job. All were useful, both for skill-building and helpful contacts - plus, an internship can provide mentorship opportunities not available at all universities.
On the flip side, I believe people should be paid for good work, even if they are in college. Not everyone can afford to work for free, and I hope more employers acknowledge this and either offer a stipend or hourly wages to interns after a probationary period.
What's your view on the fairness of unpaid internships? To me, that's the biggest issue with them - not their usefulness, which I don't dispute. Thoughts?
Anonymous
Unregistered
I had an internship in Rockwell Collins in Iowa. I really liked the people I work with, and I think that is the key. Try to find a mentor or a boss who is not much older than you (in their 20s), as these people can relate a lot better, and will often times be more straightforward and easy to approach.
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