Professional Development - Vol. IV, Part I

Work experience internship: Most often this will be in the second or third year of
the school period. The placement can be from 2 months to one full school year.
During this period, the student is expected to use the things he/she has learned
in school and put them into practice. This way the student gains work experience
in their field of study. The gained experience will be helpful to finish the final year
of study.
Research internship (graduation) or dissertation internship: This is mostly done
by students who are in their final year. With this kind of internship a student does
research for a particular company. The company can have something that they
feel like they need to improve, or the student can choose a topic within the
company themselves. The results of the research study will be put in a report and
often will have to be presented.
European internships are mostly unpaid, although they are still popular among non-
Europeans in order to gain international exposure on one's résumé and for foreign
language improvement.
Another type of internship growing in popularity is the virtual internship, in which the
intern works remotely, and is not physically present at the job location. It provides the
capacity to gain job experience without the conventional requirement of being physically
present in an office. The internship is conducted via virtual means, such as phone,
email, and web communication. Virtual interns generally have the opportunity to work at
their own pace.
In The United States
Many internships in the United States are career specific. Students often choose
internships based on their major at the university/college level. It is not uncommon for
former interns to acquire full-time employment at an organization once they have
enough necessary experience. The challenging job market has made it essential for
college students to gain real world experience prior to graduation. Yet, only 37% of
unpaid interns have job offers awaiting them at graduation compared to 60% of paid
interns and 36% of students with no internship experience. In the US, company
internships are at the center of NIGMS funded biotechnology training programs for
science PhD students. The Office of Personnel Management of the US Federal
government operation operates a robust internship program for college students and
recent graduates.
Not all internships are paid. Many internships that are unpaid involve receiving college
credit, especially if an internship is correlated with a specific class. The U.S. Department
of Labor's Wage and Hour Division allows an employer not to pay a trainee if all of the
following are true:
1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the
employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic
educational instruction;
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