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A student on the make for an internship can't go
wrong learning the key terms of the trade. You'll sound more informed
and focused if you can describe to potential employers exactly what kind
of experience you want.
And, if you're aware of the different ways an
internship experience can be structured, you'll be better able to judge
which internships you will enjoy and profit from the most.
To get you started, we've compiled a quick guide to
the six most common types of internships. Use these descriptions to
focus your search for an internship and decide which ones would most
benefit you.
Cooperative Education (co-op)
A co-op is a three-way partnership between a student,
an employer, and a college or university. It allows students to
integrate work experience into their academic studies for credit. Many
colleges endorse cooperative education by partnering with a variety of
employers to provide career-related opportunities.
Participating students work in jobs that relate to
their majors. For example, if you are studying animal behavior or
zoology, you might be able to get a part-time job at your local zoo.
Field Experience
Fieldwork is an opportunity - most commonly used by
students pursuing careers in science or sociology - to develop skills by
observing, recording, mapping, and interpreting data. Research may be
limited to one subject, like gorilla behavior or business protocol, or
may encompass a number of different, limited topics.
Fieldwork is often cited as one of the best ways to
put the theories that you learn in the classroom to a practical test.
The best fieldwork experiences combine supervision and education
(lectures, note-taking, and directed observation) with independent
research practica (designing a research methodology, collecting and
recording data, and drawing conclusions that result in the acceptance or
rejection of an original hypothesis).
Practicum
Practica offer students the chance to apply their
academic experience to a real-world project. Students work in teams or
individually under the joint supervision of an employer and an academic
adviser. Practica increase your standing in the job or graduate-school
market and facilitate networking with professionals in your field of
interest.
A sample practicum might assign a group of MBA
students to a semester-long project sponsored by a consulting firm and
supervised by a faculty member.
To set up a practicum, you meet with your academic
advisor or department head and target sites that are tailored to your
personal, educational, and career goals. One senior management
consultant says, "There is no substitute for experience. The practicum
program assists students in preparing for their transition to the
business world. It gives them a valuable edge over their peers in
today's competitive marketplace."
Practica offer employers a valuable resource for
short-term project needs and inject the refreshing perspective of
tomorrow's young professionals." Some popular practicum sites include
the American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, KPMG Peat
Marwick, AT Kearney, Baxter Healthcare, and Children's Memorial
Hospital.
Service Learning
Service learning allows you to work in organized
service within a community. You might work at an elementary school,
secondary school, institution of higher learning, or in a community
service program.
Service learning is usually structured as a three
step process in which students outline their proposed service term and
objectives, perform the service work, and then present conclusions based
on an analysis of their experiences.
Possible service learning projects might include
working at a shelter for battered women, preserving native plants,
designing a neighborhood playground, or assisting in a reading program
at a local elementary school.
Externship
Externships are distinguished by their short
duration. The student spends a short period of time (usually one to
three weeks) observing and often working with professionals in their
career field of choice. Students experience a typical day on the job and
observe the work environment and demands of the career.
Externships enable you to investigate a career field
without making a long-term commitment. They are most common in the legal
and medical fields and are unpaid.
For pre-med students, externships usually involve
shadowing a medical doctor in the emergency room or in a high-volume
clinic. For first-year law students, legal externships are often a brief
clerkship in which you handle documents and file petitions.
Apprenticeship
If you want to learn a highly skilled trade, and make
money doing it, apprenticeships offer both practical experience and
in-school training. Apprenticeships are paid and wages increase as the
apprentice gains experience. Apprenticeships vary in length from one to
five years.
Trades offering apprenticeships include horticulture,
the culinary arts, electronics technology, graphic art, clothing design,
jewelry and goldsmithing, and plumbing technology. |
