by Deborah Lawwill

Created on: February 02, 2010

With so many jobs asking for both knowledge and experience, a college internship may seem to be the perfect solution to the lack of job experience that students have. However, it is important to choose internships wisely. Some companies are less than reputable and too many loosely use the word internship as a nice way of saying free labor. This is highly prevalent on websites such as craigslist. Remember, as an intern it is your job to observe how things are done. It is illegal for interns to do work that benefits the company financially in any way. You can report non-complying businesses to the BBB.

Never do an unpaid internship for a company unless the company is highly prestigious and reputable. You can research companies very easily using Google. In today's economy, students are struggling enough. You should at least get some pay for the knowledge you have, regardless of whether or not you have a certain amount of experience.

Internships are beneficial because they allow you to claim experience on your resume and provide you with valuable references. Be sure to obtain letters of recommendation before leaving your internship position. You can ask your boss and your professors for recommendation letters. Be sure to ask each person that you plan on listing as a reference for their permission. 

Doing an internship while in college can also help you with networking. Networking with other professionals is highly beneficial to any career as making friends in the industry is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the game. Internships allow students to get to know their field and watch how other people within their field work each day. This can help build self-confidence and morale. 

Students who've completed internships before college graduation are more likely to obtain work quicker than students who have not completed internships. Internships can only be helpful for students, unless the company is not reputable or it is an unpaid internship.

Internships help students feel confident about entering their fields. They can also help students determine if a certain field is right for them by offering a hands-on, up-close experience.

Ultimately, doing a six-month paid internship while in college is ideal because it will prepare you to work in your field upon graduation. It will also keep you from hurting too much financially in the process and it will make your resume look polished. Paid internships are out there but they do require a bit more digging than finding unpaid internships. Since college students are already struggling, the internship should at least pay something. 

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