How Teens and Students Can Make the Most of an Internship

At some point along the way, many college students supplement their classroom learning with internships. An internship is a way to gain practical, real world experience in the field you are studying, and maybe even earn a little money, college credit or both.

Summer is as ideal time to take on an internship. If you aren't taking summer courses, you can work full time and throw yourself headlong into the experience without your academics suffering. Giving up a summer at the beach or days on end of sleeping until noon can be disheartening, especially when you know you'll that soon enough you'll be finished with school, making "summers off" a thing of the past. But there are many benefits to completing a good internship, including:

- Having practical work experience to put on your resume alongside your degree.

- The ability to spend a short period of time living a life similar to the one you'll lead when you end up working full-time in your field.

- The opportunity to experience and observe different aspects of your profession to help narrow down your career choices, perhaps even in time to re-evaluate your goals and change majors if you find yourself not as enamored of your field as you thought you would be.

- The ability to make contacts who can support you in your job search down the road.

Notice I mentioned that these are some of the benefits of a "good internship." Just because an opportunity presents itself as an "internship" doesn't mean it will be a valuable learning experience. For the most part, companies and organizations that hire on interns are committed to providing a strong learning opportunity. But there are still some out there who may advertise "internship" when what they really mean is "cheap help." Others may have the best of intentions, but not have the resources, systems or knowledge in place to provide you with a solid experience.

Summer internships with an organization committed to providing a valuable learning experience can be a major stepping stone in your education and career.

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