Indentured Servitude: Internships

Make sure to do internships starting in your junior year, earlier if possible, unless your goal is to be a career student. A prospective employer will want you to have experience in your newly chosen career, even if you’ve just graduated college. “How can I get experience if no one will hire me?” you might say. Easy. You can gain experience through school clubs and student activities. You’ll gain a heck of a lot of experience and pad your resume, to boot.

Sadly so, most internships are not paid. Experience or school credit is a form of payment. When a company doesn’t have to pay you with money, they maximize your usage–indentured servant comes to mind. Luckily, internships only last about three months. Some internships last up to six months. It wouldn’t be wise to sign up for this kind of servitude unless you’re near graduation and you have a job hook-up there.

But most college students have experienced this. If not, they should have. I’ve had five job references–via internships and student activities–by the time I was a college junior. I had planned to do more by the time I graduated.

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