This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org.
When I was an undergraduate at Oberlin College in Ohio, students could secure an internship during the summer between their junior and senior year and reasonably expect to be competitive in the job market after graduation. In June 1993, I interned as an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping magazine in New York City, where I screened freelance articles, wrote headlines, copy edited stories and observed the workings of the magazine’s various departments. My colleagues in this summer internship program, which is sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), worked at magazines around New York and were rising seniors like me.
Although I decided to pursue a master’s degree in journalism immediately after graduation instead of securing a full-time job, my internship could have been a viable pathway into a journalism position. Many ASME internship colleagues are, in fact, now working at publications in the U.S. and abroad.
The Increasing Importance of Internships
The employment landscape has changed dramatically since the early 1990s. In today’s increasingly competitive employment marketplace, college students must demonstrate an ability to obtain professional skills through internships. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2012 Annual Student Survey, 55 percent of the class of 2012 had an internship and/or a co-op experience in college, and 51 percent of interns were offered a job after graduation.
Completing an internship between the junior and senior year is no longer enough. As a college professor, it is common for me to encounter students who have secured three or more internships during regular terms, summers and even school breaks over the course of their college career.
In a move that further reflects the necessity of internships, many majors now require students to complete an internship for graduation. At Hope College, our Communication Department instituted an internship requirement because we recognize the need for work experience prior to graduation.
Benefits for Students and Employers
Internships are an excellent way for students to obtain professional experience and explore career options. It is not uncommon for students to later secure permanent employment from the organization where they interned. Some organizations audition prospective employees through internships if they often hire from a particular school. Even if students do not obtain employment at the organization at which they intern, internships enable students to establish contacts who could serve as leads to job opportunities elsewhere.
Internship requirements also address students’ and parents’ understandable concerns about degree marketability, especially given the high cost of higher education. When I meet prospective students and their families, their most common question is how the college assists students in finding internships and employment.
In addition, internships can benefit employers by augmenting their regular staff and completing tasks that permanent employees may not have time to do. The prospective intern can usually expect some mundane tasks such as photocopying, but students must be careful that their assistance is not exploited. To this end, students should talk to former interns and ask their supervisors specific questions about what their internships will entail before starting.
Common Internship Obstacles: Money and Transportation
Although internships are necessary for gaining work experience, they present certain obstacles for some students. First, many internships are unpaid or pay very little. As the first person in my family to attend college, I did not have the financial resources to work full time at an unpaid internship over the summers because I needed to earn money for college expenses. Moreover, my financial aid package required me to contribute a certain amount toward tuition through work-study and summer employment.
In addition to financial challenges, if an internship is not close to campus or the student’s home, commuting to an internship may be difficult if a student does not have reliable personal or public transportation. I was challenged in finding internships because my family did not have a second car and I relied on my bicycle to get around on campus.
Making Internships Possible for All Students
Although finances and transportation can seem like insurmountable challenges, internships are still possible with a little creativity and problem-solving skills.
Primarily, if a student has a financial aid package with a work-study component, never underestimate the value of the campus job in building career experience. There are many opportunities if the student only looks at campus opportunities with a creative eye. Many campus departments such as the admissions office, library, event-planning office and alumni magazine employ student workers during the academic year and even summers.
For example, after my sophomore year at Oberlin, I secured a work-study position with the college’s alumni magazine. I wrote for the magazine, copy edited and learned basic layout. Certainly, I completed some routine office tasks such as photocopying and sorting through past alumni magazines, but I was able to list the position on my resume and made great professional contacts. A strategically-thinking student will turn a work-study position into a professional opportunity while earning money at the same time.
If a student is fortunate enough to work on campus during the summer, some summer positions even offer housing as part of the package. Granted, the student may be living in a rather spartan residence hall, but the arrangement saves money on rent and solves the transportation problem if the student lacks a car or a means of public transportation.
Sometimes, students must take an unpaid internship. However, many internship supervisors realize that students have to earn money and will develop a work schedule that allows the student to also hold a paid job.
Finally, students should use alumni networks at their educational institutions. If an internship requires that a student find summer housing, the student should contact their school’s alumni office and career development office to see if there are alumni in that city who have volunteered to house students for free or a low cost. For instance, during the winter break of my senior year, I worked for a media research institute in Washington, D.C. and stayed for free with a local alumni family. Alumni in various careers also often offer internships to students, and some of those internships may even include housing.
The Truth About Internships and First-Generation Students
Some critics argue that internships perpetuate privilege by enabling students who are financially better off to take unpaid work and unfairly gain an employment advantage. Certainly, this situation reflects the gap between student backgrounds, but with creative research and networking, many first-generation students can negotiate the challenges of finding an internship. Students may likely find mentors who are well-established in their careers and willing to help. After all, many of us have been there, too.