Internships
In today's diverse and highly competitive work environment, employers are looking for candidates who have acquired experience and achieved success in the workplace.
The Internship Advantage
There are numerous advantages to participating in an internship. Some relate to choosing your ultimate career. Others relate to your academic experience and job search success upon graduation. Whatever your primary reason, participating in an internship is highly recommended.
Make more informed career choices:
- Explore your career interests and try out a career before committing to it full time
- Gain firsthand knowledge of a field, industry or employer
- Establish a network of professional mentors and references
- Develop realistic career goals and expectations
Gain an educational advantage:
- Apply theory learned in the classroom in a real world setting
- Gain academic credit under certain circumstances
- Develop new communication, technical and professional skills that carry over into the classroom as well as employment
"Throughout my internship, I was given a heavy load of assignments relating to my internship experience. There were journal entries and papers and a final essay. My first thoughts were that this on top of my internship was too much, until I did the assignments. The more I wrote and discussed my internship, the more value I placed on what I was doing and why. I received 12 credit hours for the internship which included a forty hour work week for the entire semester. It was well worth it and something I would gladly recommend!"
-- Rana, Criminal Justice Major, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Intern
Enhance your employment options:
- Obtain the professional experience employers value
- Increase your competitive advantage over other candidates without pertinent experience
- Gain negotiating leverage in salary discussions over other candidates
"Through Sun Devil CareerLink, I found a paid internship as an entry level software developer. This experience broadened my understanding, and led to becoming the Director of Development for this company."
-- Dawn, Multimedia Writing and Technical Communications major, VirMedice, LLC Intern
Internship Information
Learn About Compensation And Academic Credit
Links To Online Internship Resources
For additional internship information refer to page 35 of the STEPS Career Guide (PDF).