RESEARCH STARTER

Finding Internships

Finding internships is an essential step for college students and recent graduates seeking to gain practical experience in their desired career fields. Internships are temporary employment positions that allow participants, often referred to as interns, to learn about daily workplace operations, develop new skills, and build professional networks. While some internships are paid, others may not offer compensation, and a growing debate exists regarding the ethics of unpaid internships, particularly their accessibility for diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Internships can vary in structure, with cooperative education programs (co-ops) requiring longer commitments and often integrating with academic programs. Research indicates that completing an internship can significantly enhance job prospects and overall job satisfaction, with studies showing that interns are more likely to secure full-time positions post-graduation. Students can find internship opportunities through various channels, including college career centers, online job boards, and personal networks. These resources can provide valuable support, from crafting application materials to preparing for interviews, making the process of securing an internship more manageable.

Full Article

Internships are temporary employment positions designed to expose participants, or interns, to the day-to-day aspects of their prospective careers. Interns are commonly college students or recent graduates. Through these programs, interns familiarize themselves with a particular job field, gain new skills, and establish employment contacts and references. Interns may or may not be paid for their work, depending on the nature of the internship and applicable labor regulations. Additionally, some interns earn school course credit for their internship. Cooperative education programs, or co-ops, are similar to internships but entail alternating periods of academic study and employment related to a student’s field.

Brief History

Internship programs bear a resemblance to apprenticeships, which developed in medieval guild systems and declined in importance in many industries by the twentieth century. In an apprenticeship, a master craftsman or tradesman provided training to an apprentice, who was usually a young trainee. After learning the skills of the master’s trade, and working for a prearranged time under the master (usually several years), the apprentice could begin a career in that trade.. Modern internships differ from apprenticeships in that they are much less formal in structure and are undertaken for considerably shorter periods of time.

Internship programs became more widespread in the developed world in the middle of the twentieth century. By the early twenty-first century, internships became a widely adopted practice in many industries and fields, including journalism, technology, finance, and entertainment. Many well-known and successful people began their careers as interns. Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft, was a congressional page in the United States House of Representatives. Film director Steven Spielberg began his career as an unpaid intern for Universal Studios. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey began her career at WVOL radio in Nashville, Tennessee. Winfrey was later hired as an anchor, beginning her on-camera career.

A specific type of internship that gained popularity in the early twenty-first century is a cooperative education experience, or co-op. (It should be noted, however, that there is some ambiguity surrounding the term “co-op,” which is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “internship.”) Co-ops are generally undertaken by college students as part of, or in addition to, their coursework. While some companies offer co-op programs, certain colleges and universities actually require their students to participate in a co-op as a prerequisite for graduating. More specifically, co-ops may be mandatory for graduation only within certain majors at certain schools. Students participating in college co-op programs will stop taking classes for the specified period of employment with their co-op.

Co-ops offer a clear-cut opportunity for advancement within the internship experience, something that benefits students and employers. The students are able to showcase their talents and skills over an extended period of time, and employers are able to get a better understanding of prospective employees’ abilities and overall competency.

Overview

Research has shown that completing an internship increases the likelihood of finding employment and positively affects job satisfaction rates. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), in 2023, 68 percent of interns received a full-time offer from the company they interned for. The study also noted that certain fields, especially accounting, technology, consulting, and politics, are more likely to hire people who have held internships in those fields. Because of this, demand for internships can be quite high, higher than the available positions. A Business–Higher Education Forum (BHEF) report found that of the 8.2 million students who wanted to intern in 2023, close to 50 percent ended up not participating. Their reasoning varied, but many claimed that they did not know how to find internships, they had too heavy of a course load, or pay was insufficient or non-existent. The lack of pay can deter some students who need to make money in their spare time.

There is some controversy over paid and unpaid internships. In 2023, NACE found that almost 60 percent of internships were paid. Critics of unpaid internships contend that those positions are inherently biased and meant to attract wealthy young people who can afford to work for free. Further highlighting the exploitative potential of unpaid internships is the trend of fee-based internships. For example, in 2011, the British company Etsio offered an online resource that matched employers with interns. Most of these interns agreed to pay a daily fee associated with their placement during their tenure. (The company, however, went out of business after about a year, citing issues recruiting prospective interns.) In the United Kingdom in 2011, internships at hedge funds, public relations firms, and magazines were auctioned off during a political fundraiser; however, this event generated much public controversy, as well as a government inquiry.

The debate over paid and unpaid internships involves more than immediate wage-related concerns. Research indicates that paid internships tend to involve higher-level work and an increased likelihood of a job offer. In 2023, NACE reported that paid interns were more likely to get hired than unpaid interns or those who did not intern at all. Paid interns were also more likely to receive more job offers overall. The study also found that after graduation, paid interns received an average of 1.61 job offers, compared to 0.95 offers for unpaid interns.

There are many resources to consider when looking for an internship, particularly if the person seeking an internship is enrolled at a college or university. College career centers often have well-informed and experienced staff to help students find, apply for, and obtain internships. Career center staff can assist with résumé and cover letter writing and offer advice on successful interviewing. Students also have access to job and internship fairs that are held on their campuses.

Aside from resources found on the campuses of universities, colleges, and technical schools, there are many other sources for finding internships. For example, websites such as Internships.com, Extern.com, and Idealist.org, and platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn provide access to a wide range of internship opportunities. Additionally, these websites provide helpful information to prospective interns on topics such as effective interviewing and résumé refinement.

Another key resource for finding an internship is utilizing one’s existing network of family and friends. Prospective interns should contact those already in their acquaintance, such as family members, former employers and coworkers, friends, and teachers, to mine for any internship opportunities.


Bibliography

Adams, Susan. “Odds Are Your Internship Will Get You a Job.” Forbes, 10 Dec. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/25/odds-are-your-internship-will-get-you-a-job/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Chatterton, Brooke. “What Job Statistics Say about the Value of College Internships.” HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/what-job-statistics-say-a_b_5399641. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” U.S. Department of Labor, Jan. 2018, www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/71-flsa-internships. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Gatta, Mary. “The Class of 2023: Inequity Continues to Underpin Internship Participation and Pay Status.” NACE, 8 Aug. 2023, www.naceweb.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/trends-and-predictions/the-class-of-2023-inequity-continues-to-underpin-internship-participation-and-pay-status/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Guild System.” ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/guild-system. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Harrison, Kate. “Why Interns Are Your New Best Friends.” Forbes, 16 July 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2012/07/11/why-interns-are-your-new-best-friends/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Hering, Beth Braccio. “Why Are Internships So Important?” CNN, 14 Apr. 2010, www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/04/14/cb.why.internships.important/index.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Malik, Shiv, and Rajeev Syal. “Internships: The Scandal of Britain’s Unpaid Army.” The Guardian, 4 Nov. 2011, www.theguardian.com/money/2011/nov/04/internships-scandal-britain-unpaid-army. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Oprah Winfrey’s Official Biography.” Oprah, www.oprah.com/pressroom/oprah-winfreys-official-biography. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Palmer, Kathryn. “There Aren’t Enough Internships to Go Around.” Inside Higher Ed, 10 Sept. 2024, www.insidehighered.com/news/students/careers/2024/09/10/there-arent-enough-internships-go-around. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“20+ Internship Statistics Students Need to Know.” Forage, 17 Apr. 2023, www.theforage.com/blog/basics/internship-statistics. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Unpaid Internships and the Need for Federal Action.” National Association of Colleges and Employers, June 2010, www.naceweb.org/about-us/advocacy/position-statements/position-statement-us-internships/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Waxman, Olivia B. “How Internships Replaced the Entry-Level Job.” Time, 26 July 2018, time.com/5342599/history-of-interns-internships/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Williams-Grut, Oscar. “Recruitment Firms: Saviours or Exploiters?” The Independent, 2 Nov. 2012, www.the-independent.com/news/business/analysis-and-features/recruitment-firms-saviours-or-exploiters-8278032.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Wood, Sarah. “Co-Op vs. Internship: Know the Differences.” U.S. News & World Report, 25 Jan. 2024, www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/co-op-vs-internship. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Full Article

Internships are temporary employment positions designed to expose participants, or interns, to the day-to-day aspects of their prospective careers. Interns are commonly college students or recent graduates. Through these programs, interns familiarize themselves with a particular job field, gain new skills, and establish employment contacts and references. Interns may or may not be paid for their work, depending on the nature of the internship and applicable labor regulations. Additionally, some interns earn school course credit for their internship. Cooperative education programs, or co-ops, are similar to internships but entail alternating periods of academic study and employment related to a student’s field.

Brief History

Internship programs bear a resemblance to apprenticeships, which developed in medieval guild systems and declined in importance in many industries by the twentieth century. In an apprenticeship, a master craftsman or tradesman provided training to an apprentice, who was usually a young trainee. After learning the skills of the master’s trade, and working for a prearranged time under the master (usually several years), the apprentice could begin a career in that trade.. Modern internships differ from apprenticeships in that they are much less formal in structure and are undertaken for considerably shorter periods of time.

Internship programs became more widespread in the developed world in the middle of the twentieth century. By the early twenty-first century, internships became a widely adopted practice in many industries and fields, including journalism, technology, finance, and entertainment. Many well-known and successful people began their careers as interns. Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft, was a congressional page in the United States House of Representatives. Film director Steven Spielberg began his career as an unpaid intern for Universal Studios. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey began her career at WVOL radio in Nashville, Tennessee. Winfrey was later hired as an anchor, beginning her on-camera career.

A specific type of internship that gained popularity in the early twenty-first century is a cooperative education experience, or co-op. (It should be noted, however, that there is some ambiguity surrounding the term “co-op,” which is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “internship.”) Co-ops are generally undertaken by college students as part of, or in addition to, their coursework. While some companies offer co-op programs, certain colleges and universities actually require their students to participate in a co-op as a prerequisite for graduating. More specifically, co-ops may be mandatory for graduation only within certain majors at certain schools. Students participating in college co-op programs will stop taking classes for the specified period of employment with their co-op.

Co-ops offer a clear-cut opportunity for advancement within the internship experience, something that benefits students and employers. The students are able to showcase their talents and skills over an extended period of time, and employers are able to get a better understanding of prospective employees’ abilities and overall competency.

Overview

Research has shown that completing an internship increases the likelihood of finding employment and positively affects job satisfaction rates. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), in 2023, 68 percent of interns received a full-time offer from the company they interned for. The study also noted that certain fields, especially accounting, technology, consulting, and politics, are more likely to hire people who have held internships in those fields. Because of this, demand for internships can be quite high, higher than the available positions. A Business–Higher Education Forum (BHEF) report found that of the 8.2 million students who wanted to intern in 2023, close to 50 percent ended up not participating. Their reasoning varied, but many claimed that they did not know how to find internships, they had too heavy of a course load, or pay was insufficient or non-existent. The lack of pay can deter some students who need to make money in their spare time.

There is some controversy over paid and unpaid internships. In 2023, NACE found that almost 60 percent of internships were paid. Critics of unpaid internships contend that those positions are inherently biased and meant to attract wealthy young people who can afford to work for free. Further highlighting the exploitative potential of unpaid internships is the trend of fee-based internships. For example, in 2011, the British company Etsio offered an online resource that matched employers with interns. Most of these interns agreed to pay a daily fee associated with their placement during their tenure. (The company, however, went out of business after about a year, citing issues recruiting prospective interns.) In the United Kingdom in 2011, internships at hedge funds, public relations firms, and magazines were auctioned off during a political fundraiser; however, this event generated much public controversy, as well as a government inquiry.

The debate over paid and unpaid internships involves more than immediate wage-related concerns. Research indicates that paid internships tend to involve higher-level work and an increased likelihood of a job offer. In 2023, NACE reported that paid interns were more likely to get hired than unpaid interns or those who did not intern at all. Paid interns were also more likely to receive more job offers overall. The study also found that after graduation, paid interns received an average of 1.61 job offers, compared to 0.95 offers for unpaid interns.

There are many resources to consider when looking for an internship, particularly if the person seeking an internship is enrolled at a college or university. College career centers often have well-informed and experienced staff to help students find, apply for, and obtain internships. Career center staff can assist with résumé and cover letter writing and offer advice on successful interviewing. Students also have access to job and internship fairs that are held on their campuses.

Aside from resources found on the campuses of universities, colleges, and technical schools, there are many other sources for finding internships. For example, websites such as Internships.com, Extern.com, and Idealist.org, and platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn provide access to a wide range of internship opportunities. Additionally, these websites provide helpful information to prospective interns on topics such as effective interviewing and résumé refinement.

Another key resource for finding an internship is utilizing one’s existing network of family and friends. Prospective interns should contact those already in their acquaintance, such as family members, former employers and coworkers, friends, and teachers, to mine for any internship opportunities.


Bibliography

Adams, Susan. “Odds Are Your Internship Will Get You a Job.” Forbes, 10 Dec. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/25/odds-are-your-internship-will-get-you-a-job/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Chatterton, Brooke. “What Job Statistics Say about the Value of College Internships.” HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/what-job-statistics-say-a_b_5399641. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” U.S. Department of Labor, Jan. 2018, www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/71-flsa-internships. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Gatta, Mary. “The Class of 2023: Inequity Continues to Underpin Internship Participation and Pay Status.” NACE, 8 Aug. 2023, www.naceweb.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/trends-and-predictions/the-class-of-2023-inequity-continues-to-underpin-internship-participation-and-pay-status/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Guild System.” ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/guild-system. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Harrison, Kate. “Why Interns Are Your New Best Friends.” Forbes, 16 July 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2012/07/11/why-interns-are-your-new-best-friends/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Hering, Beth Braccio. “Why Are Internships So Important?” CNN, 14 Apr. 2010, www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/04/14/cb.why.internships.important/index.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Malik, Shiv, and Rajeev Syal. “Internships: The Scandal of Britain’s Unpaid Army.” The Guardian, 4 Nov. 2011, www.theguardian.com/money/2011/nov/04/internships-scandal-britain-unpaid-army. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Oprah Winfrey’s Official Biography.” Oprah, www.oprah.com/pressroom/oprah-winfreys-official-biography. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Palmer, Kathryn. “There Aren’t Enough Internships to Go Around.” Inside Higher Ed, 10 Sept. 2024, www.insidehighered.com/news/students/careers/2024/09/10/there-arent-enough-internships-go-around. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“20+ Internship Statistics Students Need to Know.” Forage, 17 Apr. 2023, www.theforage.com/blog/basics/internship-statistics. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

“Unpaid Internships and the Need for Federal Action.” National Association of Colleges and Employers, June 2010, www.naceweb.org/about-us/advocacy/position-statements/position-statement-us-internships/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Waxman, Olivia B. “How Internships Replaced the Entry-Level Job.” Time, 26 July 2018, time.com/5342599/history-of-interns-internships/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Williams-Grut, Oscar. “Recruitment Firms: Saviours or Exploiters?” The Independent, 2 Nov. 2012, www.the-independent.com/news/business/analysis-and-features/recruitment-firms-saviours-or-exploiters-8278032.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

Wood, Sarah. “Co-Op vs. Internship: Know the Differences.” U.S. News & World Report, 25 Jan. 2024, www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/co-op-vs-internship. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

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