More Questions to Clarify Your Internship Goals
Where do you want to have your internship? If your internship is during the regular
semester, you obviously need an internship close to your college campus, but during the
summer months you may wish to have an internship near home so you can save on
expenses (and enjoy mom or dad's cooking/laundry service/etc.) or in a location
where you hope to land a full-time position when you graduate -- or just to experience
a place in which you have never lived before.
Will you consider both paid and nonpaid internships? It would be great if all internships
paid, but in reality a large number do not - especially in certain industries. So, you need to
decide whether you can afford to not get paid during your internship.
Do you want college credit for the internship? Many colleges offer at least some college
credit for internships. The plus side (besides earning the credits) is that there is usually an
internship program with an established list of employers and internships available to you.
The down side is that there may be more restrictions on the type and amount of work you
can do based on the program guidelines.