Now is the time to line up a summer internship

Remember internships? Those are the on-site, guided work experiences that college students pursue in order to build their skills. They can also be called externships, practicums, and just plain “work experience.”

These hands-on training options took a hit during the pandemic, but now that the physical barriers are largely down, internships have started to come back. And, thanks in large part to the labor shortage, even employers who are less than keen to recommit resources in this direction are recognizing the importance of “filling their staffing pipeline.”

If you’ve been thinking about an internship, here are a few things to know.

They’re not always paid. A lot has been written about the equity issue of paying interns, with the growing realization that certain students are kept from valuable opportunities by their need for income. Some states have enacted laws on this point, partly to stem past abuses in the system.

They may earn school credit. Whether the intern is paid or not, if the internship earns credit there’s a likely to be a course fee. The credit aspect will also generate documentation for both sides, and the intern will likely make a report or create a product for review by someone at the college.

They come in many shapes. The traditional concept of a summer internship means fulltime, on-site work over three summer months. While this model continues, there are many other possibilities including parttime work, hybrid options, internships that happen during the school year or on school breaks, etc.

They are not always well-structured. Although some organizations have very specific programs that include training and supervision, others barely offer a tour of the facility before handing the intern off to someone.

They’re not just for college students. It’s not uncommon to find an internship experience touted as part of a certificate program, including some online boot camps for coding. Likewise, vocational and trade schools have offered apprenticeships for ages, which are the more intensive and structured cousin to internships. And even non-students (including career-changing adults) can score an internship if they apply extra strategy to the process.

From numerous studies over the years, it’s clear that work experiences and applied knowledge are at least as important to employers as grades or degrees. Surveys also show that students identify internships as one of the most valuable aspects of their education experience, providing not only work skills but also contacts they can leverage after graduation.

For students hoping to intern over the summer, now is the time for action. The first step should be a stop at the career center at your training institution, or a conversation with your department chair. One or both will have contacts and possibly a list of internship opportunities to help you get started.

To apply, assume you’ll need a resume, letters of reference and perhaps a short letter or essay describing your interest in the program. Depending on the focus, portfolio pieces or samples of class work could also be requested. Even though you might not yet know which internships you’ll be applying for, it’s a good idea to start gathering these things now.

If you don’t learn about an internship that interests you from your school — or if you’re not a student at all — the process can be a little more challenging. In this case, think about the actual skills you want to learn and which employers might use people with those skills.

You can then check their websites for internship programs, or simply reach out with a short letter, perhaps to human resources, asking if one of the company’s departments could use an intern for the summer.

However you find or choose your internship, be sure to match it against your goals so you know if it will be a good fit. And then, of course, do the best job you can while there, to help you build relationships that will be rewarding and helpful later.