Working World

Whether you are embarking on your first career or making a career change, landing a plumb internship can considerably increase your chances of landing a plumb job. Completing an internship can teach you new skills while giving you relevant work experience, introduce you to networking connections, and offer the possibility of a springboard into a full-time position.

More and more employers expect to see at least one internship listed on your resume. And many times an internship turns into a job offer; so if you decide to intern it’s important to take the position seriously and do the best job that you can. Another reason to take an internship is that it gives you a firsthand view inside a particular industry and a close-up look at a specific position. It can help you discover if the occupation or organization you are considering is right for you before you accept a job.

On the down side, many internships either pay very little or nothing at all. If you are the primary breadwinner in your household and must have a paying position, an internship may not work for you. While there are many internships designed to foster the development of up-and-coming professionals, there are others that are designed to save the employer money by lining up cheap or even free labor.

Working an internship requires humility because many times interns will be asked to perform menial tasks such as making coffee, running errands, and camping out at the copy machine. But if somewhere along the line you get to sit in on a meeting, write up a memo or make a suggestion, the hours of tedium will pay off and you will better understand the industry or the company and how you might fit into it.

So how do you go about locating a great internship? Start by answering these five questions.

What Are My Goals?

An internship can help you to define or refine your career goals. Decide what it is that you want out of an internship. Clarify how you envision internship experience carrying you onto the next step of your career.

What Type of Company or Organization Am I Interested In?

You may know exactly what you’d like to do, but you can still be uncertain about the best environment for you. When you are looking for an internship, it’s tempting to take the first one you are offered just to make sure you’re not left out in the cold. But in order to get the most out of the experience, make sure that you consider the company’s size, culture, employment practices, etc. You may have training and/or skills that you can utilize in a variety of work environments.

Where Do I Want to Have My Internship?

You may want or need to stay close to home for family or financial reasons. But if it’s feasible, don’t rule out out-of-town internships. The opportunity may be better, or maybe you just want to check out a city or state where you hope to land a full-time job. Or it may just be a great opportunity to experience a place you have never been before.

Will I Consider Both Paid and Non-paid Internships?  

Contrary to popular belief, not all internships are unpaid. It depends on what industry you're trying to break in to. Many Fortune 500 companies offer paid internships that occasionally include use of a company car and other cushy perks. Sometimes paid internships are more professional, i.e., your tasks are less mundane, because the employer wants to make sure it gets its money's worth out of you. But you may have your eye on an industry that doesn’t traditionally offer pay to interns. Only you know if you can really afford not to be paid for three to six months, or whatever the length of the internship is.  

If you are still in school it is sometimes possible to get college credit for the internship. The good news is that with college internship programs there is usually an established list of employers and opportunities that are available to you. This makes it easier to secure a position. But on the flip side, chances are there may be stiffer competition and more restrictions on the type and amount of work you can do based on established program guidelines.

Is It Worth It?

After you have completed three to six months as an intern, you’ll have real world experience under your belt, a new entry for your resume and, hopefully, a fresh insight into your future career. You may decide that it’s definitely the job for you or you may run screaming back to the drawing board; but good or bad, the experience will have been worth your time and effort.

Finally, The Internship Bible, published by The Princeton Review, offers important information on virtually every internship in the country; there are more than 100,000 opportunities listed to help kick-start your research.  

Judith Edna Earley is a freelance writer living in the Los Angeles area. She writer on a variety of topics and most recently authored The Autoimmune Beauty Book (www.autoimmunebeauty.com). Judith can be reached at judithednaearley@earthlink.net.

1 COMMENTS

• Jim Herz

  If you are one of the unfortunate ones sitting home watching soaps during the day wondering if you're ever going to catch a break, why not intern. this is a great way to show a perspective employer what you can bring to the table. Bring the same passion to the internship that you would bring to the paycheck and great things will happen.

  Jun 23, 2009