Intern­ships can be some of the hard­est and most chal­leng­ing things that you can do while you are a col­lege stu­dent. They are also the most important.

Look at any list­ing for a non-retail job (i.e. real job) and what do you see? Months or years of expe­ri­ence required.

So, how can you get expe­ri­ence if no one will hire you in the first place?

Well, they will hire you, but they just won’t pay you. They call this arrange­ment “intern­ship,” or “slave labor,” or, “inden­tured servi­tude. Okay, they will call it the for­mer; you will call it the lat­ter two.

But, if you want to increase your chances of get­ting a career in your desired field, I strongly rec­om­mend that you pur­sue an intern­ship opportunity.

The best place to start is to talk to your major department’s advi­sor. These peo­ple want to help you, and they are paid to do this job. Advi­sors can really help, so don’t be afraid to visit their office.

Also, check and see if your school has a gen­eral advis­ing or a career cen­ter. These peo­ple are great if you are unde­clared or unsure about your major, or just want to know every­thing that is avail­able. Intern­ing is a great way to test out a field that you are inter­ested in.

Find out as much as you can about pos­si­ble intern­ships, and you will likely find one that inter­ests you.

If you have any ques­tions or com­ments, be sure to post them below.