69 Get an internship

These days, internships are a crucial step in launching a career. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a job waiting for you once you graduate from college, an internship is a natural stepping stone into your chosen path. An internship can be a practical way to learn skills in your chosen trade and get a feel for what the real workforce is like without the commitment of a full-time job, and you may even get college credit. It’s also a great way to get your foot in the door for paid opportunities later on. You might be making spreadsheets and opening the mail now, but many companies hire from their intern pool.

Working for free might be a financial burden (though there are those rare paid internships), but the experience you’ll gain will be priceless.

Image HOW TO DO IT

To find an internship, visit your school’s career development department. The staff will probably ask you what industry you’re interested in and point you in the direction of companies they recommend or have connections with.

If the career development department is a dead end, look on your own. Just like finding a job, scoring an internship is a matter of establishing personal connections, doing some research, and applying to anything and everything that sounds remotely interesting. Many large companies have online internship application forms. Smaller companies often list a contact person on their web-site, so research the companies you’re interested in and contact them accordingly.

Know your rights

Unfortunately, some companies exploit their interns by using them as employees—without the pay. Believe it or not, there are laws out there to protect you from this kind of exploitation. The US Fair Labor Standards Act is in place to help people understand the basic legal parameters of an internship. Using them as a resource, a fair internship looks like this:

Image  The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the employer’s facilities, is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment.

Image  The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.

Image  The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.

Image  The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the intern’s activities, and on occasion, its operations may actually be impeded.

Image  The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.

Image  The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not necessarily entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

Once you’re in the door, treat your internship like a paying job. Be on time, work hard, and make as many connections as possible. If you have ideas to contribute or think you can help with a project you aren’t assigned to, tell your supervisor. It’s up to you to make the most of your internship, so be proactive and willing to assist with whatever task you’re assigned to.