An internship can be a great way to get real-world work experience, college credit, as well as being a good way to make valuable contacts. It is important to take some time to choose the best internship work experience, however, to ensure you are not just wasting your time. You will likely want to begin by considering such general factors as the nature of the work the company does, how this matches with your career goals, and the amount of time the internship will take. You will then want to consider the specific position offered for the internship work experience, and make sure it will be useful and relevant to you.
Generally speaking, there are several practical considerations to keep in mind when choosing an internship for work experience. Generally, internships are undertaken as part of a college education, and as such have certain requirements that must be met, such as the number of hours that will be worked. In addition, you will want to make sure that the organization is related to the degree you are earning; most colleges will require you to describe how this internship will help you in earning your degree and meeting your career goals.
There are other factors you will want to consider when choosing an internship work experience as well, though. Make sure you meet with a few different organizations, and fully understand what each internship opportunity will entail. You will want to choose one that will give you hands-on work experience, and an organization that really cares about your learning and your overall goals. Some companies will simply use internships as a way to get cheap help, and you want to make sure you won't just be sitting in an office filing papers or making copies all day. As much as possible, you should be using your education and actively contributing to the organization.
Another consideration when choosing an internship work experience is income. Many internships are unpaid, and it is up to you whether or not you will accept an unpaid internship. If you are earning college credit for the experience, or if it is just for the short term, it might be worth it. In other cases, you will want to really give it some thought and determine if it makes sense to work for free. Keeping all of these various factors in mind will help to ensure that your internship work experience is a positive and useful one.
