When many people think “internship” they think of a fresh-faced kid whose primary duties are bringing their boss coffee and manning the Xerox machine. What can get lost in that stereotype is that at its core an internship is supposed to be an educational experience, and not just that, but an important experience that bridges the gap between what one learns in school and how it's applied out in the real world.
Because of the stereotype, conventional wisdom used to be that while internships might be a good opportunity for a young person straight out of college, for adults with financial responsibilities an internship would be a poor substitute for any available entry level position. Many colleges’ career services advisors would even advise students to try to get an entry level job in their field even before they'd graduated. The thinking is that if you're in school for the money you can make once your degree is in hand, you might as well start making some as early as you can.
There’s still some sense to that, but there are new factors now that mean that adult learners might want to give an internship a closer look that they might have even just a few years ago. One reason is that times are increasingly challenging, and in this brave new world where job openings attract more applicants than ever, it can be worth your while to go that extra mile to differentiate yourself. As important as education is, that can mean having more on your resume than just a degree. Let’s consider some of the types of internships:
- First, there are the standard semester or year length internships that fit the idea of them that most people have. For many if not most distance learners, the time commitment places these sorts of internships out of reach, with those rare internships that are paid being the possible exception.
- Volunteer opportunities can also be considered as a kind of internship. Volunteering isn't just trendy; it shows initiative and concern for others, which are traits many potential employers appreciate. Volunteering doesn’t have the same explicit educational component that an internship does, but it does offer similar professional networking opportunity. Of course, as with standard internships, not everyone is in a position to devote this amount of time.
- Finally, however, internships can also be shorter. Consider one that is as short as a single week, where the internship acts as a sort of extended informational interview. It’s this category that we’ll explore further in this article.
One good, solid forty hour workweek is enough time to learn the most important things from a company without sacrificing precious months when you need to be focused on income. It's also enough time for you to get to know them and vice versa, which means that it's an important networking opportunity. Even if the firm or organization where you do your internship isn't in a position to offer you a job, the people there may know of positions available at other firms and may be willing to make those crucial recommendations that include genuine observations of your ability. It's debatable whether people get hired based on what they know or who they know, but with the right internship you get both.
Your school’s career services department has relationships with companies that hire graduates in your field. If this sort of internship is an experience that might interest you, consider contacting them for help to get connected to one of those employers. Universities also often have a “business council” or similarly named body of local companies whose principals are wiling to advise the school on business matters. Asking to be connected with these individuals is also worth a look.
One thing that is an important factor is that as with all career services help, you as a distance learning student must shoulder more of the responsibility for making sure things progress. Unless you are fortunate enough to be a distance learning student at a university that also offers classroom learning and to be close enough to visit in person, you will be on your own to a much greater extent than most classroom based students. On the other hand, making headway in your career is ultimately your responsibility anyway, so this shouldn’t be unduly burdensome, and besides, as a distance learner you’re already used to maintaining the discipline it takes to get things done.
Note that while being a distance learning student can make it more difficult for a career services department to help you, it also increases the advantage you would get from an internship. We’ve seen that one of the benefits of an internship is the opportunity for professional networking and gathering recommendations. Since distance learners often have instructors and classmates who live far away from them, they don’t have the same chance to use school as a platform on which to build a local professional network. A decent internship can help to overcome that situation.
So, distance learners, don’t be afraid to think inside the box! If you consider all your options carefully, you may just find that the right internship can be a great investment in time that your career will never regret.
Steve Foerster is a writer and consultant on distance learning and educational technology. He serves on the elected Community Council of WikiEducator, a project sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning to develop free educational materials for use in the developing world.
15 comment(s)
Dorothy On Wednesday, June 24 2009
This information is very helpful to me. I think I would like to try the internship. What do I need to do next
Chenoa D. On Monday, June 29 2009
I too would like more details on how to continue on with this.
LaTosha Nicole Turner On Sunday, July 05 2009
This information is really valueable what is my next step? who do i contact?
Jasmine On Tuesday, July 28 2009
I have already considered this option. As a new college grad, my major dilemma so far has been having experience. I know this is my best option suplemented with a job to pay for bills.
Terri-Karlene Peart On Friday, July 31 2009
Yes! This is exactly what I need. Experience in my field is the major hurdle I face in breaking into the new field I received my education in... What do I need to do to get an internship?
Donna Johnstone On Sunday, August 02 2009
I am an adult college student soon to Graduate, I have a resume of great companies & jobs before going back to college. Now that I will be looking in a new job market I believe an internship would be a great spin-off to new career. Help please with more information?
Chuck McCabe On Sunday, August 09 2009
Internships are available nationwide for adults who learn to become tax preparers by taking a course at The Income Tax School (link below).
www.theincometaxschool.com/.../tax-preparer-in
Veronica On Thursday, September 10 2009
I would like to find internships for my Health Service Managment degree. I am 30 hours away from graduating and I would love to do interships for the experience.
Pat On Monday, October 12 2009
I am sitting on a BS in Behavioral Science and am pursuing a Masters in Counseling Studies.....and that's it...not practical experience. I am in need of an internship program that will provide me with that practical experience. How do I get started????
I have a masters in clinical sociology which I received in 1993 I was disabled in 2003 due to a medical malpractice due to a doc On Monday, November 02 2009
I would like to do it online
carol On Saturday, November 07 2009
i have a bsn in nursing. I am now seeking a masters in information systems on line. What do you advise for more experience in this field before or after i graduate? What would be most helpful to me. Thanks
Kamessha R. Chandler On Sunday, November 08 2009
I would like to go a internship for medical coding. I do have a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health
Lanette Polak On Wednesday, March 17 2010
This is a great idea. I need to try to get some experience in my field.
shura On Tuesday, August 24 2010
I am very interested in an internship that is dealing with culinary/vegetarian cooking. Any assistance anyone can give to me
high tensile wire On Monday, November 28 2011
Good placement from your side. Such type of information must be spread in such a way that people could easily find good stuff for their knowledge enhancement. Hope so this political issue's platform will definitely provide a great help to all those who want such type of information.