Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Utsler)

Summer is approaching quickly and students are finding themselves busier than ever. As if the struggles of finals aren’t enough, students are also immersed in the summer internship search. With over 50 percent of KU students pursuing internships, it has become a staple before full-time employment.

Internships may be one of the most important factors leading into full-time employment. However, they don’t just serve as employment opportunities. They have become a way for students to decide whether or not their projected career path suites them.

Now it isn’t about saying you had an internship. They act as quality resume components, indicators of career paths, and a helpful tool for companies. Internships have become more essential than ever, and students must learn how to approach the situation.

Check campus bulletins for internship opportunities

“Internships are important because they are positioning experiences,” said Jennifer Jordan, director of career services for the School of Business. “They allow students to assess what they like.”

Jordan said that doing an internship before graduation is important because it gives students the chance to change their minds about their career path. Without the intern experience more newly graduates have to go back to school.

“They are deciding they don’t like the doors their major opened,” said Angela Haar, general manager of ESPNplus.

Haar, who took eight internships when she was in college, suggests that students take as many internships as they can find because no one wants to spend extra money on schooling they don’t have to go through. According to collegeboard.com, the average costs for a public four-year university has risen 7.1 percent from last year. Patricia Noland, career development coordinator for the School of Journalism said in order to prevent spending extra money on school start internships before your senior year. In fact most employers would rather hire an intern that has at least one semester left in school.

Large companies are starting to implement internship programs. Companies like ESPN and Bernstein and Rein have strong internship programs with strict guidelines. “We pride ourselves on our internship program,” said Marcos DeLeon, vice president of human resources for Bernstein and Rein.

Bernstein and Rein, an advertising agency in Kansas City, has a 10-week program that starts in June. They hire only eight interns. Each of these interns is required to be majoring in advertising and have at least a semester left.

“We have these requirements because they are beneficial to us and the student,” DeLeon said.

Bernstein and Rein tries to hire interns that they could potentially hire full-time in the future. They make sure the students haven’t graduated for two reasons: so they can change their major if they decide against advertising, or so the students know what areas they need to work on after their internship.

DeLeon said that he doesn't want college graduates to dislike their jobs. Internships can help prevent this.

Shane Ewing, Boulder, Colo., junior has an internship on Wall Street this summer. He said it was important to him to start early because he has no idea what he wants to do when he graduates.

“I have never done an internship before, but everyone is telling me I need to do it now so I don’t end up going back to school for another four years,” Ewing said.

If a pre-graduation internship doesn’t work out, it is still better to get one before entering the workforce. Jordan said that it looks better on your resume. Timeliness is important, but having the experience is the most valuable part.

In order to put themselves into a good position to obtain an internship, there are many steps students can take.

“Go to the career fair, use your networking, start early, be open-minded and have a polished resume,” Jordan said.

There are many more internships offered then there are students that apply, but competition is still fierce. This is why it is important to be as prepared as possible.

“Students all want the same ones (internships), because quality internships can be hard to find,” Jordan said.

However, this is a trend that is changing. Paper-pushing internships are becoming more rare. The economy has helped this situation.

“Since most internships are paid, the slow improvement of the economy has created better internships,” Jordan said. “Now companies can afford them.”

With all the opportunities available there are a number of places students can look. Bulletin boards placed throughout the university, surfing through the University online database and meeting with career placement advisors are just a few of the ways to apply.

“There really is no excuse not to have an internship,” Haar said. “I would much rather hire a student that has had one.”