CSU-San Bernardino Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 12
Internships
College years are a prime time to explore strategies to gain experience in chosen feld. By participating in
internships or service-learning projects with businesses, government agencies, or nonprofts, you can build a
network of professional contacts, and apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world settings.
What is an internship?
An internship is a temporary, structured learning experience ofered by organizations prior to graduation for
students to gain practical work experience in a specifc feld. Students can apply their new skills to real-world
situations, develop new skills, and build connections within chosen industry. Internships can give you a head
start in your career.
Should I do an unpaid internship?
While internships are a proven way to launch your career, NACE strongly discourages unpaid ones. NACE
recommends all internships be paid to level the playing feld and create a more diverse workforce. Additionally,
research shows that students with paid internships get more job ofers and higher salaries. For example, the
NACE 2022 Student Survey of four-year college students shows that paid interns averaged 1.61 job ofers, while
unpaid interns averaged 0.94 ofers, and students with no internship experience received 0.77 ofers.
Benefits of an Internship
Timeline for Internships
• Develop skills that employers are seeking and grow
as a professional
• Confrm or explore feld, industry, and functional
area interest
• Apply knowledge, skills, and concepts learned in the
classroom to real world situations
• Build relationships and create a professional
network, a source for mentors and recommenders
• NACE has consistently found that 50% to 60% of
eligible interns convert to full-time employees
and are retained at higher rates than other hires,
with 75% still with the organization after their frst
year on the job compared to 52% of non-intern
employees
• At least four to eight months prior- Prepare
applications, cover letters, and resumes. Be on the
lookout for those open dates! If you will receive units
for your internship, start exploring what is needed
from the department issuing the academic credit at
CSUSB.
• Three months prior- Applications tend to open about
this time. Check Handshake, company websites, social
media, etc., for openings.
• Two months prior- Continue to complete
applications; interviews may be conducted during
this time in-person or virtually using autonomous
interviewing systems, or Zoom.
• One month prior- Ofers will be extended; be
prepared to know the location and pay range and to
balance the pros and cons of multiple ofers.
• Start your internship! Ensure all paperwork is
completed forms are fnalized if doing the internship
for academic credit, and be ready to engage.
Who can do an internship?
Typically, internships are for students who will be in
school during the internship or who will continue in
college for at least one semester after the conclusion of
the internship. Very few internships will accommodate
students not returning to school. Internships are
available for students from frst-year to graduate
students, with the highest priority of completing one
between junior and senior year.
12 | Career Guide
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NACE internships best
practices
