What is an internship? I thought I knew.?

Question

I thought I knew what an internship was.
Until recently, I thought an internship were paid/unpaid jobs at companies for college seniors who were about to graduate.
But now I am reading about high school students getting an intern. Also, I am a chemistry major/pre-optometry student and I was told that maybe I could intern for an optometrist.
So my definition of an intern was probably wrong.

Even if a place such as an optometrist don't do internships, can I still call and ask or do companies and business have to say themselves that they do internships? Hmm, this is difficult to phrase correctly. I hope you guys know what I am trying to ask. Do companies have to register with somebody and say officially that they do internships? Are internships just a fancy word for volunteering?

Answer 1

Interships can be given to high schoolers and college students alike from freshmen to seniors, but I think the only difference is the expectations and standards for the HS student in comparison with the college student. Your definition is not wrong! They could be a fancy word for volunteering--but most people who do internships are doing them to fulfill some educational requirement (to my knowledge).



You could probably still call and ask (doesn't hurt to try!), but I think being affiliated with an institution that provides education is how internships are obtained. My university has job fairs and internship meetings a few times per academic year so students can obtain theirs.



Or, some really big companies might require internships before you become a full-fledged employee so they can monitor you every step of the way.



Still, it doesn't hurt to research the company you're interested in if you're not a student to do an internship. The worst thing they can do is say "Nope, sorry, we don't offer them, have a nice day!"

Answer 2

Internships benefit both the intern and the company/agency. The intern learns about the business and position (and whether or not to continue pursuing that career) while gaining experience, etc; the company gets cheap/free labor and a chance to look over a potential hiree. Because of this, ANY business may be interested in an intern, even a business that hadn't considered the idea before you came along. Make a short list of places you want to work, then go ask. Be prepared for an interview, bring a resume, dress professional, etc. If you get the internship, be a model employee--interns often fill job openings. Networking may be the most important aspect of internships, and an internship looks great on a resume.

Answer 3

Internships are usually coordinated through a school or other teaching facility.