intern

An intern is one who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment, making it similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be other adults seeking skills for a new career. Student internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit.

An internship may be either paid, unpaid or partially paid (in the form of a stipend). Paid internships are most common in the medical, science, engineering, law, business (especially accounting and finance), technology and advertising fields. Internships in not-for-profit organizations such as charities and think tanks are often unpaid, volunteer positions. Internships may be part-time or full-time; typically they are part-time during the university year and full-time in the summer, and they typically last 6-12 weeks, but can be shorter or longer.

Internship positions are available from businesses, government departments, non-profit groups and organizations. Due to strict labor laws, European internships, though mostly unpaid, are popular among non-Europeans to gain international exposure on one's resume and for foreign language improvement. In Canada the term cooperative education is used more often to describe this same type of program.

Different kinds of internships

There are different kind of internships in different industries or settings, and for different purposes.

1. Work experience internship: Most often this will be in the second or third year of the school period. The placement can be from 2 months to sometimes even one full school year. During this period the student is supposed to use the things he/she has learned in school and put it in practice. This way the student gets work experience in their field of study. The gained experience will be helpful to finish up the last year of the study.
2. Research internship (graduation) or dissertation internship: This is mostly done by students that are in their last year. With this kind of internship a student does research for a particular company. The company can have something that they feel like they need to improve, or the student can choose a topic within the company themselves. The results of the research study will be put in a report and often will have to be presented.

Diversity internship programs

There are several organizations that provide internship programs for minorities. Some of the best-known^{[citation needed]} are Inroads, which places over 5,100 minority college students in paid corporate internships each year; and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, which places students in internships in fields such as management consulting and investment banking. Other organizations, such as the United Negro College Fund, and The InternZoo Organization organized corporate-sponsored internships that also provide a scholarship.

International internships

Many students do internships in a different country to get international experience and learn an extra language. The meaning of an internship can be different around the globe. In different countries, even within the EU, the view of an intern can differ from what one is used to in their home country.

Spain: At Spanish universities it is not common to do an internship during the education period. The real working experiment for them starts when they are done with their study. However, Spanish companies are getting more used to having students doing an internship at their company nowadays. Mostly these are international students from other European countries. Spain is a popular country for students to go to for a short period of time to do an internship. A lot of times students want to learn Spanish, and this is a perfect opportunity for them to do so. Another reason to go to Spain for an internship could be the opportunity to increase their cultural awareness or to experience working in an international setting. Students found that it is hard to get in contact with most Spanish Businesses. The best way to find a good company to work at will be with the help of a placement organisation. Internships in Spain are almost never paid. This because companies have to put time and effort in training the student, and it will always only be for a short period of time.

UK, Canada and Australia: In these countries they have split the types of internship in unpaid or paid. The unpaid internship are mostly the ones that are chosen by students who are either still in school and doing an internship as part of the requirements of school or who have just left school. The purpose of this internships are to get understanding about how work is conducted in the English-speaking world and to improve one's English. Another plus is to learn about work ethic and to experience cultural diversity. The paid internship is mostly for people that want to come to these countries to improve their English. The job for them is not something that they are specialized in, but see it as something that will give them enough money to support their living in these countries. Really their main goal is to learn English or to just live in an international environment. The jobs are often summer jobs in a hotel, restaurant, or in the leisure industry. Internships are always short term.

Germany: In Germany there are different kinds of internships as well. As in most other countries, most students take their internship during the third or fourth year of their degree. One of the biggest difference to other countries is that most internships are paid. The average pay is 400€ a month. In some fields of study it is common to write the final thesis in a company. Another type of internship has emerged, the post graduation internship. The high unemployment in Germany during the last years, has made it hard for people to find the right job, especially for people that have just graduated and lack work experience. Because of this, many offer to do an internship in their favorite company and earn very little, in the hope of scoring a good contract in the future.

France: At the French universities it is also most common to do an internship, in France called stage, during the third or fourth year of your studies. The duration of the internships varies from 2 to 6 months, but very seldom longer than that. In France it is also becoming more popular to do an internship after one is finished studying. Mostly for student that did not get the chance to do an internship during their study career, and try to gain some working experience this way. Most times with the thought of getting hired after the internship period. An internship in France is also popular for international students. The number one reason to do an internship in France is to learn the language. A lot of French companies seem to be open to students from different countries. It is a big plus for companies to have employees who speak multiple languages.

Nepal: Internship opportunities for university students are available round the year in Nepal.

the Netherlands: In the Netherlands it is also common to do an internship during college. Just like in France it is called stage. Students will go intern for approximately 5 months. Companies are not obligated to pay the student, so most small companies won't pay anything. Bigger companies however do pay students from about €100 to €250 a month.

References

• The Successful Internship: Transformation and Empowerment in Experiential Learning (Paperback) by H. Frederick Sweitzer, Mary A. King
• Internship Success, Marianne Ehrlich Green

See also

• Advertising Agency
• Apprentice
• Curricular Practical Training (for international students)
• Experiential Education
• Externship
• Fellowship
• Mentoring
• Practicum
• Service Learning
• Work Experience - the term used for much the same thing in the United Kingdom and Australia, where the word intern is not as commonly used.

External links

• Are Externs Employees?, from the US-based National Association of Colleges and Employers about the legal status of externs in Florida.

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