Internships Interns Experience Job Work Describing One's Make

Students and "recent graduates" (people who recently earned a diploma or finished a course of study) can participate in internships to "obtain" (get) valuable job experience and "network" (meet; make connections) with people in their "chosen industry" (the field one wants to work in). Many internships are "unpaid" (the intern does not receive any money), and even the "paid" internships are usually not very well paying. Internships can also be "for credit" (giving the student academic credits that can be used to earn a degree, like a class) or "not for credit," and interns usually have to write a report describing their experience in for-credit internships.

Internship experiences "vary widely" (are very different) depending on the industry and the organization. Some interns are disappointed when their work is primarily photocopying or getting coffee for the regular employees. But other interns become an "integral" (important; necessary) part of the organization. The best internships are generally opportunities to work on a specific project that benefits the organization, but that regular employees do not have enough time to complete on their own. Interns working on specific projects have "autonomy" (the ability to make one's own decisions), but can also "turn to" (ask for help from) employees when they need guidance or additional information.

Many businesses offer internships as a way to "vet" (review the qualifications of) potential employees. If a supervisor is pleased with an intern, he or she may encourage the intern to return to the organization after graduation by making an "attractive" (desirable; with nice benefits) job offer. The intern's familiarity with the organization and the "work culture" (how people interact within the organization), makes the transition into the new job easier, and the company knows how well qualified the new employee is, because it has already worked with him or her as an intern.