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Taking internships

An internship is basically a job in a professional field—except you might not get paid. Students and graduates take internships for the summer, for a few months after graduation, or even during school to gain supervised, real-world experience in a specific field. You might be an intern in a law office, a doctor’s office, for a magazine publisher, at an ad agency, or in a museum, for example. While some internships are paid, many are volunteer positions that pay with experience rather than immediate cash. Holding an internship can help you:
Decide if the career field you always wanted to go into is really a good choice for you.
Decide between different career interests.
Obtain a permanent position with a company/corporation where you interned.
Explore various career interests if you are unsure of your career path.
Internship opportunities are available to students from a variety of sources:
College Internship Office: Many colleges have offices that coordinate internship opportunities for students. These offices post opportunities for students and have applications available.
Employers: Some employers have internship opportunities that are not posted at the college or would be willing to tailor an internship opportunity for students. Contact prospective employers (or organizations of interest) to inquire about internship opportunities.
Internship Organizations: There are some private organizations that coordinate internship opportunities. Certain requirements do apply. An example is INROADS (www.inroads.org).

Internships are great opportunities to get hands-on experience that can lead to your first professional job.
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