Will The Great Internship Please Stand Up?

Entry by Brittney Horn, Membership Intern, Greater Lafayette Commerce

Whatever major you have during college, most students are urged to do as many internships that they can while they are finishing their undergrad. It’s obvious why it’s important, I mean how else are you supposed to get experience? What’s more important to search for is the GREAT internship. I feel as though there are 3 different kinds of internships: the great, the good, and the really bad. Here are few tips for finding the perfect internship.

1. Before accepting the internship, make sure you ask if you will have a mentor/supervisor. Most companies that provide internships will have a specific person appointed to be in charge of all of the interns. This is extremely important because if you have no one to report to then you may not learn much from the experience.
2. Talk with previous interns from that company. These people won’t sugar coat anything and will tell you if you’re getting coffee for the supervisors or actually working on a project you will enjoy.
3. Intern with a company that you could see yourself being an employee for when it’s time to look for a job. Companies are very specific on who they hire and a lot of times don’t post new job opportunities because they hire from within or previous interns.
4. Go to your career center at your college for a list of internships. Colleges won’t put a questionable internship post up on their list and advisors can really help you find the perfect internship that matches your interests.
5. And lastly, an internship isn’t a great one without YOU being great yourself! Put all of your efforts to make the most out of the internship you have. This is your chance to prove yourself as a professional and will help you land the perfect job after graduation!