We all know that internships are a fantastic way to gain valuable hands-on experience, but it’s hard to commit to an unpaid summer internship when you know you need to make money, too. But what if that internship is the experience that’s going to open the doors for your future job?
The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development recognizes this issue and administers funding to sponsor talented undergraduate and graduate students so they have financial support while completing summer internships.
What experiences are considered an internship? According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), an experience can be defined as an internship if it meets all of the following criteria:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
