Internships are important. You know that by now. An internship provides you the opportunity to develop valuable skills, build your resume, gain experience, grow your network, explore industries and hopefully earn some money. While you might be tired everyone telling you to find an internship, the reality is internships are valuable and necessary. Perhaps more essential than you initially thought. Your summer internship may, in fact, be a bit of an extended job interview.
In 2017 The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported that 75% of employers with internship programs indicated the primary focus of these programs was to recruit college graduates for full-time, entry-level positions. LinkedIn provided some interesting data about the companies utilizing internships as a recruitment tool and their respective conversion rates into employment. So it’s not a given that your internship will land you a full-time job with the same company but with so many top employers converting interns into employees it definitely suggests you enter your internship prepared to nail it.
So how do you go into your internship ready to slay it? Cue the Denison Internship Program is also known as DIP. DIP provides you a “structured learning experience as you explore the career field and apply academic coursework in the workplace.” Basically, we are going to help you head into your internship with goals, review your progress during the internship, and help you reflect after your internship to ensure you can articulate just how the internship impacted your career journey.
PS – if you haven’t landed your internship yet then come see us! The Knowlton Center offers multiple resources to help you. Have you checked out our Career Toolkit to learn the basics and get started? Try attending one of our Career Labs for a more in-depth look at career topics such as “Landing Your Internship”–a topic so important we named a Lab after it! Finally, work 1-1 with our coaches and peer advisors to be ready to act when the opportunity presents itself.
