It wasn?t long ago when college internships were viewed by students as merely a way of getting out of the classroom and scoring an easy grade. Similarly, companies thought no more of internship programs than a way of getting help in low skill areas at a bargain rate. As a result, college internships were little more than "gopherships" offering students limited opportunity for growth and experience.

"The unsophisticated internships of yesteryear are a thing of the past. Today, internships are serious business for both students and companies," Robert Waltos, Director of Career Recruitment for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, said.

Since 1979, internship participation by college students has increased from one in 36 to one in three. Company participation in internship programs has increased also, with 60 percent of all employers planning to expand their internship programs.

According to the 1997 Princeton Review of America?s Top Internships, there has been an explosion in popularity and perceived importance of internships by both students and businesses. In 1993, 26 percent of all college graduates hired had worked as interns, versus only nine percent the year before.

In a recent USA Today article, one expert was quoted as saying that an internship is the "most bankable credential you can put on a resume." For many employers, academic success is just not enough; they seek employees who have been tested through internships. ~ "Companies like internships because they offer a ?sneak preview? of a prospective candidate as he or she handles the complexities presented in a ?real world? environment," Waltos said.

The intern benefits by getting an accurate picture of what it takes to do a job in his or her field. If the intern performs well, he or she may have made that all important contact that can result in permanent employment. Even if the internship isn?t a perfect fit, the intern comes away with insight into what it takes to succeed in that particular field. It may even spark new interests or offer direction for a different career.

One area of internship growth is in business sales. Insurance companies have successfully expanded their internship programs because as many as 30 percent of their interns become successful full-time agents after college. For the student, these types of internships offer an opportunity to gain real-life experience in sales and benefit from higher pay through commissions.

Not all internships pay as high as sales internships, but over 80 percent of companies offering internships do compensate their interns. Students who participate in an internship may even qualify for college credits.
"The more than 1.1 million college graduates entering the work force each year are discovering that an internship can be the deciding factor when a job is on the line," Waltos said.

If you are interested in obtaining an internship, contact your school?s Internship Director for more information, or refer to America?s Top Internships, 1997 Edition, by Mark Oldman and Samer Hamadeh.