The old-school model of passively learning facts and reciting them out of context is no longer sufficient to prepare students

to survive in today's world. Solving highly complex problems requires that students have both fundamental skills (reading writing and math! and "#st century skills (teamwork problem solving research gathering time management information synthesi$ing utili$ing high tech tools!. %ith this combination of skills students become directors and managers of their learning process guided and mentored by a skilled teacher. These "#st century skills include

personal and social responsibility planning critical thinking reasoning and creativity strong communication skills both for interpersonal and presentation needs cross-cultural understanding visuali$ing and decision making knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task

College Internships
The importance of internships to college students
Share

&s the global economy becomes more ' well ' global the competition for good (obs continues to increase. )ou no longer have to simply be more qualified than the person next to you you have to be more qualified than countless others all around the world. *oing to a college or university is a critical step but you can greatly enhance your classroom learning by gaining real world experience through college student internships. +n addition to gaining great experience to complete your classroom learning college internships allow you to beef up your portfolio or resume and make valuable industry contacts that can be essential to landing the ideal (ob upon graduation. ,emember the old adage -+t.s not what you know but who you know./ %ell toss that right in the garbage can. +n today.s competitive (ob market it.s what you know and who you know that often makes the difference. 0ollege internships are a great way to address both of those issues at the same time. &s such the importance of internships to college students demands serious consideration. 1urther as college student internships are also competitive you can make the most of other opportunities available to you by finding a campus (ob in your field. )ou can also leverage other university resources like your campus (ob search office or alumni organi$ation to find a valuable position that will get you in the door and on your way to a career in a field you love. 0ollege internships are beneficial because they get you both experience and contacts but they aren.t the only way to do this. There are also good alternatives to college internships. College Internships: The Ultimate Social Network +f there is one thing you learned on the first day of your freshman year it was the importance of having resources and the value in knowing how to use them. +ndeed knowing where to turn when you need something is (ust as important as having what you need in the first place. +f resourcefulness is a measure of value then knowing where to turn might even be more useful than possessing the knowledge first hand. &nd college internships are great for this.

The importance of internships to college students in terms of networking and gaining new resources cannot be understated. 2uilding a network of who you knows through college student internships can pay great dividends upon graduation. 2y remembering the social aspect of making contacts with people as people while working at college internships you can help to ensure that if good contacts are with other organi$ations by the time you graduate you will then have an -in/ at those other organi$ations in addition to the organi$ations where you performed actual college internships. So get in there and mingle. 3ake it a point to meet as many people as possible. 4earning about someone as a person can be as valuable as learning about what his or her (ob entails. Social gatherings with co-workers after hours or on weekends are great ways to network and build meaningful bonds that make the most of college internships. ,emember the value of college internships often lies in the people with whom you will work with. College Internships are Just One Option The benchmark of any college or university lies in the success of its graduates. To bolster the odds of success schools promote college internships. They also have speciali$ed offices and employees whose primary responsibility is to help you get a job. 5se them6 3any of the advantages of college internships can also be reali$ed through campus (obs and by getting in with alums who have been where you are at and can help you get to where you want to be. 2ut how7 1ederal and state governments award -work-study/ funding to colleges and universities. The sole purpose of this funding is to act as an incentive for universities to hire students for university positions by covering a certain percentage of that student.s wages. 8ot all students or positions qualify for work-study funding but it is worth investigating. +f you are a computer science ma(or you can gain experience as nearly every school in the world has a steady commitment to staying up-to-date with technology. 9nglish or (ournalism students can gain great experience writing for the school paper or landing a position in the marketing and communications office. These are (ust two alternatives to college internships. &dditionally schools like to keep in touch with alums. +n fact they have specific departments solely dedicated to this purpose. &s such they are often aware of the industries in which their alums are working. &nd alums are often eager to help students at their alma mater succeed. +n fact in addition to speciali$ed alumni-related college internships some colleges and universities maintain social networks that feature (ob listings from organi$ations where alums currently work. %hen in doubt the first place to stop should be your campus (ob search office. They are uniquely prepared to provide information about college internships (ob fairs summer (obs in the community and possible opportunities with alums.

How Can an Internship Help You?

:8othing ever becomes ,9&4 until it is experienced.: -;ohn <eats +nternships have become an important part of a college student's education. Through internships students gain experience in different fields test career interests establish contacts that can assist with networking and receive letters of recommendation from professionals in the field. +nternships can make a si$able contribution to every student's resume. +n addition to these benefits internships act as a way for students to gain experience without committing themselves permanently to a specific field. +t is common for students to ma(or in a particular area of study but then having done an internship in that field decide the field is not right for them. +nternships allow students who do not know exactly what they want to do to work in different fields with the hope of finding a (ob they really en(oy. 1or other students internships confirm their interest in a particular course of study and reinforce their career goals. &s you continue to work toward achieving your degree at =ofstra 5niversity it is important to remember that (ust having a degree is no longer sufficient in and of itself to secure a full-time (ob after graduation. Setting career goals and gaining experience while in school through internships gives students the competitive edge over other students when seeking a full-time (ob after graduation. 3any employers give preference in hiring to students who have previous internship experience in their respective industries. +n today's competitive (ob market it is essential that you gain career skills and make the most of your time at =ofstra 5niversity. +nternships provide you with this opportunity.

The Bene its o Internships

Transitioning from college to career can be intimidating. 3any graduates struggle to identify the right career path or find themselves getting lost in the competitive (ob market. 0ompleting an internship - or several - while you're in school can help you get an edge on this process.

Find Your Dream Job

There aren't very many people who start school with a 'dream (ob' already in mind. +nternships can help you narrow your professional focus by giving you the opportunity to explore different fields and different positions. %rite down a list of your interests then meet with your school's career counselor to find out what types of internships may be available to you in those areas. Try to pursue a couple of very different opportunities in order to really get a feel for your options.

Improve Your Resume

9ven if you already know what you want to do after you graduate chances are that your resume isn't a mile long yet. 3any recent college graduates have a hard time meeting minimum work experience requirements in (obs for which they might otherwise be qualified. 0ompleting at least

one internship can help you gain professional experience while still in school and give you something impressive to put on that resume.

Develop Professional Skills

9ven though internships mimic (obs in many ways they're truly about learning. )ou'll probably earn college credit instead of cash but you're not free labor - it's your employer's role to give you on-the-(ob professional training. This can give you the opportunity to practice what you're been learning in the classroom in the 'real world' and develop hands-on practical skills. &nd those look great on a resume too.

et!ork" et!ork" et!ork

3aking professional connections is a crucial part of getting started on your career path. 8ot only can knowing the right person help you get your foot in the door in most workplaces having good connections helps you tap into a whole network of professional information and resources. &n internship is a great place to make these connections. +f you perform well your employer may be willing to write you a recommendation and introduce you to other people in the field. 1urthermore your fellow interns and coworkers will one day be your professional peers and may themselves prove to be useful connections. &nd some lucky interns even find a salaried (ob at the same place after graduation. &nd (ust because some companies are taking advantage of interns does not mean that all internship programs are bad. >uite the contrary actually. The !ene its o internships or college stu"ents #an" e$en recent gra"uates% inclu"e&!ut are certainl' not limite" to&the ollowing: (earn more a!out 'our iel" or in"ustr') &long with (ob shadows and informational interviews internships are one of the best ways to truly learn about your field from a real-world perspective. %hile the classroom certainly teaches students important information there.s something different about implementing those teachings with a real client or customer. ?See #@ Tips to *et the 3ost Aut of )our +nternship.B *ppl' knowle"ge learne" in the classroom) &gain there.s a big difference between learning about strategies and tactics and actually applying them. +nterning for an organi$ation helps students learn how their classroom knowledge applies to real situations and reinforces concepts taught in classes. +ain $alua!le work e,perience) +n most fields no longer can a college graduate land an entrylevel (ob with merely a bachelor.s degree and no prior work experience. +nternships help students get this real-world experience while still in school. +nternship programs are a great way to generate more work samples for your professional portfolio and give you real accomplishment stories for your resume and online profiles.

-eci"e i this is the right path or 'ou) %orking for a company in your industry can give you valuable insight into whether or not the industry is the right choice for you potentially avoiding the costs of obtaining a degree in a field you.re not interested in. +t.s best to know as early as possible and an internship can help you do that. -e$elop an" !uil" upon skills) 4earning new skills in an internship can help you in future employment opportunities and might give you a leg up on your competition in future application processes. ?See =ow to 3arket )our Skills in )our ;ob Search.B +et a oot in the "oor at a compan') +nternship experiences provide a valuable opportunity to share your skills with a prospective employer long before the hiring process for an entry-level (ob occurs. This can be a great benefit when in the future an opening does occurCif you.ve impressed them you.ll probably be on the list of top candidates for the (ob. &lso according to a survey by the 8ational &ssociation of 0olleges and 9mployers (8&09! new graduates who took part in an internship program are more likely to have received a (ob offer than those who didn.t have an internship experience. +ain $alua!le networking contacts) &nother benefit to completing an internship is the contacts you make. 8etworking is often one of the best ways to land a new (ob and a primary way to learn about unadvertised (ob opportunities. O!tain re erences or uture .o! opportunities) )our internship supervisor has had a chance to see your skills in action at the company and is an ideal reference for future (ob opportunities. Ather individuals you work closely with at your internship can also serve as references or provide recommendation letters for your (ob search. ?See D Tips for *en) on the ;ob =unt.B (earn a!out the worl" o work) &lthough you.ve probably had a (ob before or during college you probably don.t know what the day-to-day experience of working in your field will be like until your first internship experience. %hen you choose to intern at a company you.ll experience first-hand what it.s like to work in an office interact with supervisors and co-workers and handle customers or clients. /eet peers with similar interests) +nternship programs can introduce you to other students and recent graduates in your field or who share your interestsCwhich certainly can.t hurt your career or your social life.

Should You Do #n Internship$

0h' +etting 0ork 1,perience is So Important

Three Reasons to Do an Internship

With more and more people doing internships, employers are coming to expect to see them listed on the resumes of potential employees. Internships often turn into job offers. All the more reason to do an internship and to take the job very seriously -- it is the first impression you make on ho may be a future employer. An internship is a great ay to get an inside glimpse of a company, an industry, and a particular occupation. It can help you discover if the career you are considering is right !or rong" for you.

T!o Reasons ot to Do an Internship

Internships either pay very little or nothing at all. If you absolutely have to earn money, you may decide against doing one. Internships sometimes involve performing menial tasks.

%o! to Find an Internship

Visit Your College Career Center: If you are currently attending college, your career center may be a good resource for finding internships. Use Internship Databases: If you are not in school, or if you find the career center is not a good resource, you may seek out an internship on your o n. #here are several databases available on the Web that list internships both in the $nited States and abroad.

%o! to &valuate an Internship Setting

Read the Internship Description: While many internships exist to nurture budding professionals, there are others hich serve only to provide the employer ith cheap !or free" labor. %ake sure you are going to get hat you need out of an internship. Research the Company: &earn as much about the internship site as possible. #his ill not only help you decide hether a setting is a good one, but it ill also make you a more kno ledgeable intervie ee. Talk to Former Interns: 'ou ill ant to hear about the experiences of those ho ent before you. #alk to students ho have interned at the site in hich you are interested. #alk to your college(s internship coordinator ho may have kept a record of interns( feedback or can provide you ith the names of former interns.