Career Tips Guides

An internship is a temporary position with an emphasis on the on-the-job training rather than merely employment. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. However, it would still depend on your college curriculum if you were required to have one or not. Nevertheless, getting into an internship has a lot of benefits that you might want to consider.

It’s an Asset
To make it simple, having an internship experience is actually an asset. When you are already in the real world, most employees would be looking for this on your resume. In fact, a lot of companies out rightly say that they consider this as an important deciding factor on whether they will be accepting a new graduate for a full-time position or not.

With that being said is enough to show you the benefits. However, there are a few more other benefits that you might want to know.

Learn the Secrets of Your Field
If you are to ask graduates whom have taken internship what they got out from it, probably a lot of them would have similar answers: knowledge. In having internship, you are given the key to access the tricks of the trade of whatever industry you are in.
Here, you get to know the secrets and techniques of different practical knowledge that you can’t really learn when you are confined in the four corners of your classroom.

This knowledge is concentrated on the practical application of your major, which could be very useful to you especially after you graduate.

Evidence of What You Can Do
During internship, you are asked to perform tasks or help out on projects. Accomplishing such experiences can be your proof of your abilities. You can use them to build up your portfolio or resume. In fact, it can be much better if a whole project was assigned to you from scratch. In this way, all credit for the project would be yours.

Get Connected
One of the most obvious benefits of getting into a program would be the connection that you can make. You can gain lots of contacts, which is obviously useful when you graduate and when you are already looking for a real job.

Improve Your Confidence
You can also improve your confidence if you undergo internship. Since you already have an idea of what is it like in the workplace, then by the time comes that you are officially to be employed, you wouldn’t have much of those butterflies in the stomach kind of feeling.

Also, you would be a little more confident in associating and mingling with other people in the office, since you have done the same during your internship period. In fact, if you had your internship with the same company you will be working with, this would definitely be a bonus, since you already know the people in the office. Thus, you would have less difficulty adjusting.

Basic Knowledge
Provided that you completed your internship, you are expected to have a basic knowledge how of how generic workplaces in your field would operate. You are also now familiar of the tasks that may be given to you. In this way, you can anticipate the things you have to do for work, and not be caught unprepared.

These are just some of the benefits that you can get out from internship. So, if your college curriculum doesn’t really require you to have one, it wouldn’t really hurt if you still undergo through a program, considering the benefits that you can get.

Paul Hata is active in various social and community programs aimed at providing equal access to education,health and jobs to all.Paul has over 10 years experience in managing a multi-million dollar advertising company.Paul can be reached at - TradePlanets.com

The Internet has created wonderful opportunities for countless students to take advantage of distance learning opportunities. Online colleges and universities offer excellent educations to working adults, the disabled, and those who need to study with flexible hours. These online classes also offer a substantial savings over the cost of attending a traditional “bricks and mortar” school, since there is no cost for room and board and lower expenses for staffing and transportation needs.

The down side is that there are also many “diploma mills” on the Internet. These are scams that pose as reputable schools but are selling worthless pieces of paper instead of offering real diplomas. They don’t provide a real education. They simply take your money. If you want a genuine education, be sure you are enrolling at one of the many excellent online colleges that will give you a thorough education.

There are several things you should look for in determining whether an online program is legitimate. Unrealistic promises are a bad sign. No reputable college will promise that you can graduate with a degree in a matter of weeks. At the very least, a degree program should take 18 months to complete. A good program also won’t promise that you can graduate no matter what. Remember, you should have to work for your degree. Paying a fee shouldn’t be enough.

Look for accreditation, and then verify. Colleges and universities are accredited by various organizations. Check carefully to see who the accrediting agency is, and then confirm that it is legitimate. If an online school tells you that it is “only a formality”, or that they don’t need accreditation because they are an online school, don’t waste your time and money.

Six regional accrediting bodies that are reliable include the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and College, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It’s well worth it to take the time to visit their websites.

Accreditation programs for U.S. schools should be located within the U.S. In recent years, some diploma mills have gotten around their lack of credentials by seeking accreditation in third world countries with low educational standards. If it doesn’t make sense to you, there’s a reason. A school in Montana with accreditation from a small island in the Caribbean isn’t likely to offer you a solid education. As always, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Look for the school’s contact information. A good school will offer you several ways to contact them. If a website doesn’t offer a street address and phone number, they may be hiding something. A school that is open and honest will want to offer you every opportunity to talk to their admissions staff and faculty. If the only thing they have is an online form to fill out, you should definitely be suspicious.

Research the curriculum. When you look at the websites for online schools, check out the various programs that are offered. You should be able to look at some examples of the classes that are offered. Sample coursework will give you an idea of the variety of classes and how in-depth your education will be. If there is no mention on the website of required classes or the amount of work you will be expected to complete, there is a problem.

Learn about the faculty and staff. Online colleges and universities are generally quite proud of their instructors. They will have biographies, photos and contact information for at least some of their instructors on the school’s website. If you can’t find the names of any instructors, it might be because there aren’t any.

Compare the school’s size-to-major ratio. There are many outstanding online schools that are relatively small, and these will generally offer a limited number of degrees that they specialize in. What you don’t want to see is a small school that offers hundreds of diploma options. After all, it’s not possible to be teaching all of those classes if the school is very small. It’s a tip-off that they may simply be selling you a piece of paper. If you take the proper precautions, you can find an excellent, reputable online college or university that will give you a solid education. In the end, it will award you with a diploma that you’ve truly earned and that you can be proud of.

Andy West is a writer for Knowledge Fest and School Marks.

With the development of globalization and International trade, exposure to international business and culture is an important and valuable experience for college graduates entering the job market. An internship is an excellent way to determine if the industry and the profession is the best career option the student wish to pursue in the future. An International Internship not only provides practical work experience in a field that they intend to pursue, but also build experience in international environment.

Here are some of the essential things that you should consider and know in applying for an international internship program.

Know Your Mission
First, you should make it clear to yourself why you would want to have an international internship. Usually, there are two reasons that may pass your mind. One is that you want to live abroad. Two is that you want to gain more work and career-related experience that can help hone you into the best professional you can be.

If your main reason is the first one, then you might want to reconsider getting into such kind of program. If you simply want to live abroad, you can just find working opportunities abroad rather than an internship. Doing this would be cheaper and easier on your part. If the latter is your reason, then you have made the right choice!

Where to Go
Most internship that has a relation to international careers, most especially those of international organizations, is usually located in the United States. Such programs are frequently located in places where international activity brews up, like New York or Washington DC. Nevertheless, it is usually possible to get an international internship program along with an overseas location.

How Much to Get One
Getting into an international program can be expensive. However, you can get financial aid to meet your expenses. Also, there are programs that are actually sponsored by your university; getting one can give credit toward your degree.

The expenses can have a varied range. If you are going to get an unpaid and non-academic internship, try to consider the living costs. If the expenses are high, this can sum up just about the same value of getting a tuition-charging internship program, minus the benefits of financial aid and credit.

How About Volunteering
There are also volunteer positions that you can apply for. Most likely, these volunteer programs abroad can provide you board and lodging. This is one option that can make your internship less expensive rather than undergoing an unpaid program.

One good example is the Peace Corps. They do pay well, although you would have to make a two-year commitment with the organization. Additionally, the repayment of your educational loans is usually deferred for the duration of volunteer work. Getting a volunteer position can be your best move if you are interested in pursuing a career related to developing countries.

These are some of the vital things to consider if you are planning to get an international internship. Although it may sound scary or stressful, a lot of benefits surely await for you.

The major benefit of getting such kind of program would be the professionally related experience you are going to have and the better prospects for future career positions.

Paul Hata is active in various social and community programs aimed at providing equal access to education,health and jobs to all.Paul has over 10 years experience in managing a multi-million dollar advertising company.Paul can be reached at - TradePlanets.com