What is an Internship?
Simply put, an internship is on-the-job work experience that is either related to your career interests or current field of study. Internships can be paid or unpaid, and can take place during the academic year or during the summer. All internships are short-term but can last anywhere from a single week to a full year. Most internships function as training opportunities and some, especially ones that take place during the school year, can be research projects where a professor or a company wants a student to study a new topic of interest.
What is the Difference Between an Apprenticeship and an Internship?
The main difference between an apprenticeship and an internship is that internships are not usually as focused. An intern is not bound to work for the employer after the internship is over, though many do. An internship also offers students a chance to “try out” a job or industry to determine if it is the right choice for them. Apprenticeship is where a skilled laborer, often a craftsman, would take on and teach a young person their trade. In exchange for being taught a trade, the apprentice would agree to work for the craftsman for a specified length of time.
What type of experience can you get out of an internship?
Regardless of when the internship takes place or how much it pays, the experience can provide you with a number of invaluable opportunities. For example, you can:
Learn about different work environments and get a taste of the “real world.”
Build new skills and tweak ones you already have.
Broaden your professional network, gaining contacts and future recommenders along the way.
Benefit from one-on-one mentorships.
Get a sense of what happens in multiple departments at a company.
Try out a career without having to make a full commitment.
Receive financial compensation
Turn an internship into a full-time job opportunity after college.