If you’ve been following this blog (Hi Mom!) then you know I am a super planner. I write down everything on my computer, in my agenda, on my phone and on my wall calendar. You also know that I like to plan AHEAD, way ahead. And you know what, it pays off.
Internship time is a fragile time span. For me there were a few big factors in finding and applying for internsips, and who knows, this may apply to you as well:
1)$Money$- Naturally everyone desires for the elusive PAID internship, for some people this is a necessity. Make sure you know what type of payment you are getting before you put all your eggs in one basket. Some pay like a normal job, others give you a stipend at the beginning or end of the internship. I’ve learned in my search that a lot of places give scholarships at the end, but no payment throughout and some places will pay, but may take money out if they have to provide transportation/housing for interns. Also, the cost of living should be taken into account. If your internship will pay like a normal job, but you have to sublease a place to stay, make sure you calculate how much money you will have going in before that first paycheck, and if it will be enough to pay rent and any other bills as well as food and entertainment/transportation.
2) Credits- If you can get credit then take it, but make sure your internship and your school are all on the same page. My university requires either 150 hours for 3 credits or 300 hours for six credits as well as correspondence form the internships and papers on my part throughout the duration of the internship. If credits are a necessity, make sure you know the guidelines for what will count for credit. For example, my university DOES NOT allow internships outside of the US to count for credit. BUMMER! I am graduating early and credits I earn this summer will be a big deal in how much work I will have to do in the fall. My summer dream was to intern in London but when I found out that I would not be able to obtain credit from an internship in the UK, I dropped that dream very quickly (kind of…) either way there are many factors for students when internship time comes along.
To avoid making this a super long post. I decided to make it a series *cue excitement* so stay tuned for part II: What makes a good internship for you?
