{"id":18458,"date":"2022-11-22T04:52:38","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T09:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/?p=18458"},"modified":"2022-11-22T04:52:38","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T09:52:38","slug":"what-is-an-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/what-is-an-internship\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is an Internship? All You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"f862c97100d898773dd915a3810aee54\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px;\">\n\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Considering the high competition in the job market, getting your dream job with only your college diploma is a feat. Many students seek internships to develop their skills further, get acquainted with the work environment, and build connections to land their dream job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">If you&#8217;re interested in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/internships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">getting an internship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> but need help figuring out where to begin, this article will guide you through. We&#8217;ll explore some of the most common questions, such as what an internship is, why internships are important, how much interns earn, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-an-internship\"><b>What Is an Internship?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18463 pk-lazyload\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"what-is-an-internship\"  width=\"1024\"  height=\"682\"  title=\"\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/what-is-an-internship-1024x682.jpg\" ><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">An internship is a short-term professional program usually reserved for college students or recent graduates. They are an excellent opportunity for students to experience the work dynamics and determine if a career path is right for them. They learn the company&#8217;s day-to-day operations and make long-lasting connections with coworkers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Internships can be paid or not-paid, and you can intern for class credit. Usually, students complete internships during the semester or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/get-summer-internship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">over the summer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-an-internship-and-an-externship\"><b>What is the difference between an internship and an externship?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Another term often used together with internships is externships. Externships are short-term work experiences offered to students as part of a course study to teach them about a specific job&#8217;s work environment and duties. While both externships and internships are short apprenticeship programs, they still have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/externship-vs-internship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">some key differences.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> Some of them are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Duration: externships usually last a few days or weeks, whereas internships typically last <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/internship-duration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">a whole semester<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Payment: externships aren&#8217;t paid, while internships can be paid or unpaid.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">College credit: an externship isn&#8217;t often used for credit, whereas an internship can be counted for credit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Program design: during an externship, students will mostly observe job duties or work on minor projects, whereas during an internship, students can have work roles within the company.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"why-are-internships-important\"><b>Why Are Internships Important?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Getting an internship during your formative college years is important as it provides you with skills and practical knowledge of the field as well as the opportunity to work with experienced professionals. Some of the most valuable benefits of getting an internship are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Helping you determine your interests or find new interests,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Building connections with industry professionals,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Learning on-the-job,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Introducing you to office dynamics,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Learning how to maintain a healthy work-life balance,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Encouraging character growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-do-interns-do\"><b>What Do Interns Do?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18461 pk-lazyload\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"what-do-interns-do\"  width=\"1024\"  height=\"682\"  title=\"\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/what-do-interns-do-1024x682.jpg\" ><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">While at the beginning of your internship you&#8217;ll learn how the company works and understand how you can assist and contribute to the team, over time, you will also handle bigger responsibilities and be part of projects. Some of the day-to-day duties of a beginner can be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Performing clerical duties,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Event handling,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Research,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Managing social media and emails.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">However, different industries have different duties, so you should research the specific roles of that industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Generally, during an internship, you&#8217;re expected to pick up knowledge and develop your soft skills as much as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-get-an-internship\"><b>How to Get an Internship<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">While not all internships are the same, we suggest you follow the five steps mentioned below to increase your chances of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/getting-internship-without-experience\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">landing the right internship for you<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"start-researching-early\"><b>Start researching early<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Finding good internships can be challenging, especially if you don&#8217;t utilize all tools available. You can find internships through:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Professors that work actively in the field,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">The college career center,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Attending meetings of local professional organizations,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Contacting HR professionals of the companies that interest you through LinkedIn or email,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Job or career fairs,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Online resources like LinkedIn or Indeed, or company sites,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Leveraging your network (mentors, former employers, friends, and family) with similar career interests.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"prepare-a-good-resume-and-cover-letter\"><b>Prepare a good resume and cover letter<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">When applying for an internship, you must submit a strong resume and cover letter that best reflects your skills, education, achievement, and you as a person. These will help you stand out as a candidate and open more opportunities for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">A strong resume (CV) contains the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">A unique header with your contact information,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">your objective statement,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">education,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">experience,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">achievements, and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">skills.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">As many employers request a cover letter along with your resume, it can be your chance to make a good first impression and show your goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Your cover letter should include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">The specific role you&#8217;re applying for,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">relevant keywords,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">relevant coursework\/education and skills, and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">statements on why you think you&#8217;re a good candidate and what you think you could gain from it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">For more details about writing a solid resume and a cover letter and samples of how they could look like, read our guides on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/writing-internship-resume\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">how to write an internship resume<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/internship-cover-letter\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">how to write a cover letter for an internship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"apply-early\"><b>Apply early<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Another important thing to consider is to make sure you complete all application deadlines and make sure to apply as early as possible. Many employers appreciate candidates who can manage their time well and are enthusiastic about working in their company by applying early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"prepare-for-the-interview\"><b>Prepare for the interview<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18460 pk-lazyload\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"prepare-for-the-interview\"  width=\"1024\"  height=\"682\"  title=\"\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/prepare-for-the-interview-1024x682.jpg\" ><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">As the final step of the admission process, getting an interview means that you&#8217;ve made a good impression on the hiring committee, and this is your chance to prove to them that you&#8217;re the right candidate for the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">So, to do that, you should prepare for your interview by presenting the contents of your resume concisely and confidently. You should also research the company&#8217;s key characteristics and emphasize how your skills will add value to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"persevere\"><b>Persevere<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">While you should always be optimistic about the outcome of your application, you should keep in mind that there will be instances where you won&#8217;t be admitted to the internships you apply for. The most important thing is that you see that as an opportunity to improve and to do better in future applications. So, you must persevere, and for sure, companies will see the academic and professional value you bring to their team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-much-do-interns-earn\"><b>How Much Do Interns Earn?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Many factors weigh in on the official salary of interns, such as skill level, location, years of experience, and, most importantly, type of establishment. According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/research\/highest-paying-internships-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Glassdoor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">, some of the industries with the highest paid internship salaries are gaming, investment banking, tech, and consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ziprecruiter.com\/Salaries\/Intern-Salary-per-Hour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">ZipRecruiter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">, on average, interns earn $15 per hour, with salaries ranging from as high as $29.57 to as low as $5.77. On the other hand, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career\/intern\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Indeed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> reports an average base salary of $16.60 per hour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Lastly, according to data gathered by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/Salaries\/intern-salary-SRCH_KO0,6.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Glassdoor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">, the average base pay for interns is $38,223 per year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Getting yourself out of your comfort zone and having to face the possibility of rejection can be overwhelming for all of us. However, we will still encourage you to take any internship opportunity seriously and try to make the most out of it. By seeking out internships, you&#8217;ll put yourself in a position for long-term success, and that always brings growth. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Considering the high competition in the job market, getting your dream job with only your college diploma is a feat. Many students seek internships to develop their skills further, get&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":18462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18458","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academic-advice"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18458"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18464,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18458\/revisions\/18464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}