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Making the Most of Your Internship
Book

Making the Most of Your Internship

Thomson South-Western, 2006 more...

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Editorial Rating

6

Recommendation

Today’s job market is so competitive that the scramble to get your foot on the first rung of the ladder can be as arduous as the battle for a CEO position. One way to gain a comparative advantage and attain valuable work experience is to participate in an internship. Ken Kaser, John R. Brooks, Jr. and Kellye Brooks have compiled a basic but information-packed workbook to direct students through the internship experience. Accompanied by a CD-ROM with a neat “resume generator,” this book walks the reader through the entire internship process. Although this smart guide is disorganized and somewhat repetitive in areas, getAbstract believes it can inspire enthusiastic, diligent students or fresh graduates who wish to get a career head start. It also acts as a helpful handbook for human resource professionals who design internship programs.

Summary

Why Should Students Participate in Internships?

Internships are becoming increasingly popular with high-school and college students. Every year, hopeful graduates armed with high grades and hot diplomas flood the job market, but fall short because their resumes contain little or no real-life work experience. Internships allow eager, career-bound students to differentiate themselves from this group of monotonous aspirants.

If you are a student, an internship involving a few months of real onsite learning and work experience offers innumerable benefits. These include opportunities to develop your talents and interests for a future career, to cultivate social capital and networking skills, and to “make a positive impression in your career field prior to graduation.”

Although the majority of internships are unpaid or offer merely a token stipend, the benefits generally outweigh the costs. For those seeking monetary aid to help them through school, many colleges and universities have funding programs for interns. Often banks and parents will loan money to cover internships, which they see as a solid “investment” in a young person’s future.

Choosing the Right...

About the Authors

Ken Kaser is the marketing internship coordinator at Clements High School, Sugar Land, Texas. John R. Brooks, Jr. is a professor of marketing at Houston Baptist University, where Kellye Brooks is the internship director and an assistant professor of marketing.