The Benefits Of Unpaid Internships

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An intern is defined as “a student or recent graduate who works for a period of time at a job in order to get experience.” (“Intern,” n.d.) In 2011, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, former interns will fill nearly 40 percent of the year’s entry-level positions. In almost all large organizations, you will see internship postings, some of which are paid and others that are unpaid. Unpaid internships raise many questions and although college credit is offered, is it enough? Today, internships are almost required in securing a professional position especially in medical and educational fields but how required/useful are they? Landing a job in this brutal economy is tremendously challenging for students …show more content…
It will help you develop on-the-job skills and industry-specific knowledge and offer access to a network of contacts that could lead to a future job, especially important if you plan to switch industries or careers (“Internships Today,” 2014). For example, in the medical field, it is necessary for people pursuing a nursing degree to participate in clinicals. By partaking in this on-the-job training, the given person is developing knowledge in the field they are looking to become a professional in. Hands on experiences are always the best and nursing students are given this when performing in clinicals. As well as clinicals, which is part of the nursing program, many potential nurses intern while in college or immediately after graduation to gain more real world …show more content…
Businesses can be beneficial in the internship process as well. By bringing interns into the office, you are able to focus on business development, resulting in new business and ultimately leading into a job offer to the intern. It is described as a win-win because even if the internship does not work out and the intern is not offered a job, it gives the intern a much better chance when sending out his resume to potential colleagues. Businesses also benefit because they have another hand in helping for low pay or even sometimes no pay. Businesses can experience many benefits when proper internship programs are in place. (Alagh,

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