Internships/Co-ops

Page address: http://www.mnsu.edu/cdc/students/jobs_and_internships/internships.html

"School enhances you because it gives you direction. (But) to me all that can be self-taught. The degree doesn't translate into the job. The experience translates into the job."

Internships are a great way for students to gain hands-on experience in the career field they are interested in while adding value to their resumes! These experiences are short-term, may be paid or non-paid, and can often be applied toward academic credit. Internships allow students to apply concepts studied in class to the workplace and gain practical skills from on-the-job training that cannot be found in the classroom setting. Internships can occur during the academic year, a semester or summer, or after graduation.

What are the benefits of completing an internship?

• “Test drive” a career, learn about the field to determine if it is a good fit for you

• Build professional network

• Establish relationships with mentors

• Develop new skills related to the field

• Earn college credit

• Gain a “real world” perspective on an occupation and the culture of that field

• EXPERIENCE!

Experience is the key word. Employers expect new graduates to have experience in their career field. A study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) asked employers to rate the importance of experience when recruiting new hires. According to the NACE 2011 Job Outlook survey, 72% of employers prefer to hire candidates with relevant work experience. Of these, 53% prefer the experience to be from internship or co-op experience.

Experiential Learning:

Experiential learning theory defines learning as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience"(Kolb 1984, p. 41).