How to Find a Good Internship

Not everything can be taught in a lecture hall or computer lab. This is why many degree programs require students to complete an internship before they graduate. Internships are important because they give you real life experience in your field of study. Most of the time it is up to students to get an internship on their own, some of which can be harder to find than others. For example, business internships may be easier to find, given the diversity of the industry. But internships in the fields of media or fashion design tend to be harder to find because the work is more concentrated in one area.

In many ways, trying to find an internship is much like the job search. What you learn during this experience will help you prepare for the challenges of life after graduation. Internships are usually filled per semester, so it is important that you apply the semester before, which means you need to start looking for one even earlier. And the best way to begin looking is by doing a little research. The Internet provides limitless ways that you can search for an internship. First, many internships can be listed on Web sites like InternshipPrograms.com and InternZoo.com. These Web sites generally let you search for an internship by location, employer, field, and date, as well as provide information about the internship process. Second, internships can also be listed on company Web sites. Larger companies, who may not have time to advertise, usually just list internship opportunities on the career section of their Web sites. This is a good way to find internships if you are interested in working at a specific company.

However, keep in mind that just because a company does not list internship opportunities on its Web site does not mean that it does not offer any. Many companies do not list their internship opportunities simply because they don't have to. The more popular the company or glamorous the industry, the more they are used to students coming to them. So do some investigation. Call their offices and find out if they have an internship supervisor. If they don't, find the person who is in charge of the department you want to work in and contact them directly. The worst they can say is that there are no available internships, but chances are, they will be impressed by your enthusiasm.