The statistics from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the CompareCamp Internship Statistics, clearly show why it is essential for college students to do at least one, and ideally multiple internships, before they graduate. Here are 8 reasons why internships are important:
- Your competitors are completing internships: Nationally, 57.5% of college graduates of 2019 completed at least one internship (CompareCamp 2020).
- You can earn money: While about half of internships are unpaid, the Magner Career Center has made a concerted effort to increase the number of paid internships in our database. Additionally, the Magner Center offers a stipend for unpaid internships every semester. There are also many great external internship stipend programs available, as well.
- Gain entry into prestigious companies: Internships are often the way our students get their foot in the door of prestigious organizations (e.g. in a previous semester, Deloitte took 4 out of 8 Brooklyn College internship applicants while none of the full time applicants received offers).
- Internship programs are a pipeline for full-time positions: Internal interns are 32% more likely to be retained than new hires who lack internship experience. (NACE 2021). This finding is supported by another survey that stated completing internships increases job offers by 16% (CompareCamp 2020).
- Need to build experience early: 48% of students land their first internships BEFORE their junior year. We have seen a trend where prestigious organizations such as Google are trying to reach students earlier for internships through programs targeting freshmen and sophomores. So not only is getting a full time job more competitive, but getting an internship your junior year is as well. Students need to begin building experience earlier on to gain entry into top internships.
- Networking often leads to a job: We often hear that it is not what you know but who you know. 69% of companies have a formalized referral program where 26% of hires are recruited from (Kalido 2019). By interning students begin to build their professional network within the industry and field.
- Clarify your career goals: Interning allows you to determine whether the career you are pursuing is right for you. Without working in the field, it can be difficult for a student to really know if they will be happy. Over 34% of graduates report that internships “significantly” shifted their career direction. (NACE’s The Positive Implications of Internships on Early Career Outcomes)
- Employers want you to have experience before they hire you: When choosing between two otherwise equally qualified candidates, employers deem having an internship with its organization or within its industry to be the most influential factors (NACE 2022). 57.5% of students who had experience with an internship received job offers. (College Recruiter, 2019)
Have a question?
Contact the internship team at careernews@brooklyn.cuny.edu or 718.951.5696.