The Benefits of Student Internships

by Philip Meade

The popularity of quality internships among students today is at an all time high because students see internships as crucial to their future employment success. The reasons why students feel this way are many but are they correct in their thinking? Internships impact not only the students but also the university and hosting organization. This article will look at the benefits of internships for these three important constituencies.

Benefits to students:

Internships can potentially lead to full-time jobs. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that last year, major employers said they hired 38% of their interns for full-time positions, up from 25% in 2001. Internship conversion rates are considerably higher than 38% in industries that have a long tradition of hosting interns.

Many organizations see internships as a more successful and cost effective way to recruit full-time talent. An organization that recently posted an internship with the Center for Career Development referred to their opportunity as a three month interview. A February 18, 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal spoke about the cost effectiveness of hiring interns. "In some cases, the cost of recruiting one full-time position can be as much as $30,000.00 (factoring in travel, labor, marketing and background checks), while an intern can be tried out on the job and then hired permanently at a minimal cost." The same article quotes Amy Van Kirk, national campus recruiting director at PricewaterhouseCoopers as saying, "we can't go back and find full-time hires every fall; we've got to develop a pipeline." Interns are an important part of the pipeline.

Relevant work experience can be developed through internships. Just because a student interns with an organization does not mean that they will want to work for that organization if offered a position. The internship may serve to help the student gain related experience making them a more qualified candidate for another more preferred organization.

Internships allow for exploration of various industries and career paths and may help identify suitable positions for full-time employment upon graduation. For students who are unsure of what field or position they want to pursue upon graduation, internships offer an opportunity for them to explore potential options. This may help students to confirm their interest in particular fields or positions or help them to determine that they need to move in different directions.

Participation in internships allows students to meet professionals in their field and begin to build a network of contacts. Once selected for an internship a student will meet individuals with whom they can speak and gather industry specific information through informational interviews. The student can use this information to help them with their career decision-making process. Going forward, the student can continue to draw on their contacts for industry specific career advice and potential job leads.

By pursuing internships a student gets a lesson in what the job application process entails. In order to apply for an internship a student, at the least, would have to write a resume and a cover letter. Some internships will require even more in the application process (references, application, writing sample, portfolio, essay or philosophy statement). If successful in the application process, the student would then go on to at least one and potentially more interviews. This is an invaluable lesson in what to expect when it comes time to graduate and apply for a full-time position or go on an interview for graduate school.

Benefits to the university

Theories that faculty teach in the classroom can be applied outside the classroom. As faculty prepares students in their particular areas of study, an internship could allow students to gain a different perspective or see classroom theory in practice. The student can enhance the classroom experience by sharing their outside experiences with others in class.

Faculty and administrators can begin to develop contacts with organizations in the community. Certainly, these contacts can lead to other student internships but they could also allow the organizations to participate more broadly in campus life. These organizations could offer staff to speak in classes when invited, to participate in panel discussions, sponsor events, fund faculty research and provide potential research challenges on which faculty and students can work. Additionally, the organizations could become fundraising sources for the institution.

Outside organizations could also support the Career Development Center by recruiting on campus for internships, as well as for full-time and part-time jobs. They can help students in preparing for the job/internship search by participating in workshops on resume writing, interview techniques and conducting mock interviews. These organizations could also conduct information sessions to help students learn about potential career paths and employment options.

A university can also benefit, if it chooses to, by consulting outside organizations when considering new degree programs or potential curriculum upgrades. Department heads and faculty may benefit from the different perspectives of outside organizations when considering such critical changes. By having existing relationships with organizations, their advice will be provided for free.

The potential results of such initiatives would be to increase the visibility of the university. This increase in visibility can have a positive impact on student retention and enrollments. In addition, stronger external relationships increase the potential sources of employment for graduates and this will also have an impact on the desirability and visibility of the university.

Benefits to organizations

Such benefits may include completing projects that would otherwise go undone, creating positive relationships with selected colleges and universities, exposing employees to students who have knowledge of the latest theories in the field, providing an experienced, familiar pool of candidates from which to hire and raising the visibility of organizations services/products with students. As mentioned earlier, internships help provide organizations with a potential pipeline of talent and can lower recruiting and training costs.

Through my position as Internship Coordinator and with the resources of the Center for Career Development we can assist students, faculty, administration and interested organizations to achieve the benefits discussed in this article. A coordinated effort on all our parts will help maximize the resources needed to accomplish some of these initiatives. With continued faculty and administration support we can target our outreach efforts to organizations with whom we want to build relationships and that can provide high quality experiences for the students of Adelphi.

If you have students that need guidance or support with any part of the internship search process, please direct them to me. I can assist them with all aspects of searching for an internship. This would include establishing goals and objectives, conducting research, receiving a newsletter of current internship opportunities, developing a professional looking resume, creating a cover letter, preparing for interviews and other issues unique to their particular needs. My office is in the Center for Career Development in Post Hall and I can be reached at extension 3130 or meade@adelphi.edu.