`To get a good job, get a good education,” advised an old public service announcement. These days, that advice should probably have an addendum reading, “And a good education includes a good job.”
A newly minted college graduate, even one with a high grade-point average, doesn’t stand as much of a chance in the job market as his peers who complete an internship or co-op job, contends LeVette G. Martin.
Martin, who graduated from Northern Illinois University last year with a degree in electrical engineering, says she received better job offers than some of her engineering friends because she completed a valuable co-op job as part of her schooling, while those friends did not have comparable job experiences.
On the surface, a co-op job or an internship doesn’t look that much different from a regular job. The intern or co-op student reports to an office or other workplace and fulfills the duties that would be expected of any worker in that position.
Indeed, it may be difficult to distinguish some of these jobs, especially internships, from part-time or summer work that a student takes on to help pay his expenses. However, for the most part, these posts are approved by the student’s college or university. In fact, school approval is necessary to ensure that a job called an “internship” really includes some valuable learning, warns Helen Oloroso, director of the career development center at Illinois Institute of Technology.
Especially with a co-op position, a student can earn a competitive salary, sometimes even benefits. And students can often earn credit for their internship or co-op job.
“The salaries vary, but it can be a significant help in paying your tuition and other costs,” says Paul Stonely, president of the National Commission for Cooperative Education in Boston. But sometimes financial aid awards are reduced based on what a student earns while on his co-op assignment.
High school students should study how strongly a college will arrange an internship or co-op job when searching for a college or university to attend, advise experts.
Internships and co-op jobs both offer students meaningful work in their field of study. “These days, employers ask you, `Do you have any experience?’ even though they know you are just coming out of school,” says Martin.
There are a few key differences between internships and co-op programs, however. “Co-op jobs, except in very rare cases, pay a salary, while internships may or may not be paid,” explains Dawn Pettit, executive director of the Cooperative Education Association in Columbia, Md.
Also, a co-op job involves an alternating schedule, or “multiple work experiences,” says Douglas Q. Davis, director of the Cooperative Education Internship Program at Northern Illinois University.
This means that a student may take a job at a company for a semester, return to class the next semester and then take another, more advanced job at the same company the following semester. Because two full semesters are taken up working, instead of going to class, a student who goes this route often takes five years to earn his degree.
“Co-op jobs are more affordable (than taking on an unpaid internship), but you have to realize you may not finish in four years,” notes John Bradarich, director of the Career Center at Loyola University in Chicago.
On the other hand, “an internship usually doesn’t interfere with schooling,” says Karen Hansen, executive editor of “Peterson’s Internships,” a directory of intern positions. “An internship is usually done in the summer or part-time a few hours a week when the student is not in class,” explains Hansen.
Although many co-op students use an “alternating” schedule, some co-ops are “parallel,” says Pettit. Under parallel programs, a student works part-time and attends class part-time.
Internships are probably more common than co-op jobs. Stonely estimates between 500 to 700 community colleges, colleges and universities have active co-op programs whereby school faculty and administrators help students land these jobs. More information is available from the National Commission for Cooperative Education’s Web site at www.co-op.edu and at the site of the Cooperative Education Association at www.ceainc.org.
It’s possible to secure an internship on your own, says Hansen. “Our book lists 50,000 opportunities at 2,000 companies and organizations,” she notes. Students can apply for internships on their own and then try to get credit by asking a faculty member to approve the work experience for course credit, notes Hansen.
Although there is a do-it-yourself approach, the strongest co-op and internship programs have school involvement, says Oloroso. “An employer can create a job and call it an internship,” she warns. “There have been cases where students have been relegated to second-class citizens because they were interns. In good co-op or internship programs, the work is carefully planned by both the school and the employer, and the school monitors the student’s work on the job.”
To ensure that a student isn’t just making photocopies or running errands for the bosses, most schools have a “training agreement” for co-op and internships, explains Davis. “This agreement spells out exactly what duties the student will be expected to perform.”
A school with a dedicated orientation towards internships and/or co-op opportunities also helps students find the jobs. Explains Oloroso: “Some do it (arrange jobs) through the academic departments; some do it through the career center. Almost always, if a student is getting course credit for the job, the credit is approved by a department faculty member.”
While a school may provide the co-op and intern opportunities, it’s up to the student to take the initiative to land a position. Typically, sophomore students should start searching for a stint later that year or during their junior or senior year, say experts.
Garnering a spot involves all the same steps as finding a permanent job, such as sending out resumes and interviewing. Competition for some spots, even unpaid internships, can be fierce. At Ivan R. Dee Publisher, a Chicago book-publishing company, for instance, some 200 applications are received annually for 12 internship spots, says operations manager Maureen Ryan.
Although exact statistics aren’t available, Hansen says that about two out of three students graduate with internship or co-op experience, compared with just one out of 36 students 20 years ago.
INTERNSHIP HELP
Internships provide one of the best ways for a student to get valuable work experience before graduation. While many colleges have career offices, the Web has become a good source to find internship opportunities. Here’s a look at several sites:
– InternshipPrograms.Com (www.internshipprograms.com) –Search for internships by company or by region. View intern opportunities with companies in a wide range of fields.
– Rising Star Internships (www.rsinternships.com) –Students can search for internships here or post resumes for prospective employers to view. Also contains info on part-time employment for students.
– Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (www.twc.edu)–Contains information on a rich variety of internship opportunities found in our nation’s capital.
– Everett Public Service Internship Program (www.everettinternships.org)–This site provides information on internships in New York City and Washington, D.C., in 10 career categories.
– Action Without Borders (www.idealist.org/IS/intern –search.html)–If non-profit work is your thing, then you might want to start by checking out the internships offered through this location.
— Knight-Ridder/Tribune
