Internships
Internship Standards
The following criteria defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers must be met for an experience to be defined as an internship.
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and education and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback from the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
If these standards are met, it is the opinion of NACE and the Community College of Beaver County that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.
How to find an Internship?- Search usajobs.gov https://www.usajobs.gov/
Internships are available in a wide variety of fields in government, private business and non-profit organizations.
Why do I need an Internship?
Internships can provide valuable experience while you are still in school and earning your degree or certificate. You are able to gain first-hand knowledge of a company’s climate, the duties and responsibilities for a variety of career positions while learning how daily tasks are completed. An internship experience allows you to fine-tune your networking skills and provides to be a valuable tool for you to decide if your career choice is the right fit for you. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2018 NACE Internship and Co-op Survey Report:
- 59% of Employers make a full-time job offer to interns.
- 77% of these full- time job offers were accepted.
- More than 45% of interns land a full-time job from their internship.
Finding and landing an internship is very similar to conducting a job search. It is never too early to learn strategies to find open internship and job opportunities. Whether you need to find an internship for course credit or you are seeking real-world career experience in your field, these resources may be of help:
