An interview with Amanda Harrell, senior program manager of internships and early talent connections in the office of Student Engagement and Career Development. Harrell facilitates meetings between employers and students, and helps students find internships they are interested in.
The benefits of internships extend to both employer and student.
Large employers see interns as potential future employees, and internships allow them to assess candidates in a real work environment over an extended period. This approach helps companies secure top talent early and come end up offering full-time positions to successful interns upon graduation.
“Internships help large employers build their talent pipeline,” Harrell said. “This trend is common across internships in engineering, sales and finance.”
For smaller organizations, including nonprofits, interns bring fresh perspectives and new ideas, challenge established norms, and spark innovations, she said.
No matter the industry or the size of the employer, internships give students the opportunity to:
- Explore career paths before committing to one.
- Gain real-world experience.
- Narrow the gap between their academic knowledge and professional application.
Perhaps more importantly, completing an internship can mean a higher likelihood of landing a job upon graduation.
Students who completed internships were almost two times more likely to report full-time employment at the time of graduation – 2019-20 Graduating Senior Survey.
Demand for interns can vary by field, she said, which is why it’s important for students to cast a wide net when applying, and even consider positions outside their major.
Students might – wrongly – feel that internships are less important if their major is something like creative writing as opposed to engineering.
But, Harrell said, just the experience of being an intern is valuable, and can pay dividends later.
“Students who did internships during college tend to see higher salaries later in their career.”
Read the article as published in the Arizona Daily Star.
By Niranjana Rajalakshmi, University Communications | July 22, 2024
If you’d like to learn more about internships, visit our Internships page and subscribe to the internship community for updates delivered to your inbox. Students at the University of Arizona can make a 1:1 coaching appointment with a peer coach to ask questions, get resume tips and support for their search.
